The ultimate yin and yang of movie going

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

This weekend, she who must be obeyed decided that we were going to go see EAT PRAY LOVE. And as a concession to me, we were also going to see THE EXPENDABLES.

 

Sweet fancy Moses,they were the two worst movies I have EVER seen. THE EXPENDABLES was stupid, hyper violent and little better than murder porn.

EAT PRAY LOVE was the epitome of the self centered navel gazing bullshit that runs rampant in America.

 

I cannot exprss how fully I hated these two pieces of shit. Both pandered and both were self involved and self congratulatory. Everyone involved with the making of these two movies should be ashamed of themselves.

 

If only Sly Stallone had a weepy, self involved female sidekick and Julia Roberts had an AK47...

[Scalzunfield]

I think if you're looking for something NOT self-involved with EITHER of those movies, you had the wrong mentality going in.

 

I haven't seen Eat Pray Love because, thankfully, my soon-to-be wife had zero interest and that. However, we did see The Expendables with a group of friends on its premiere night and enjoyed it completely. I went in expecting nothing and ended up enjoying it just as a popcorn flick with no deep meaning or anything new/special.

 

However, we saw Scott Pilgrim the same night and I was blown away by everything with that movie. Great stuff.

[bjorn_skurj]

This weekend, she who must be obeyed decided that we were going to go see EAT PRAY LOVE. And as a concession to me, we were also going to see THE EXPENDABLES.

 

Sweet fancy Moses,they were the two worst movies I have EVER seen. THE EXPENDABLES was stupid, hyper violent and little better than murder porn.

EAT PRAY LOVE was the epitome of the self centered navel gazing bullshit that runs rampant in America.

 

I cannot exprss how fully I hated these two pieces of shit. Both pandered and both were self involved and self congratulatory. Everyone involved with the making of these two movies should be ashamed of themselves.

 

If only Sly Stallone had a weepy, self involved female sidekick and Julia Roberts had an AK47...

 

[Atticus]

for God's sake don't go see Salt then. I could have written that "plot" during half a decent dump.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

for God's sake don't go see Salt then. I could have written that "plot" during half a decent dump.

 

I saw it...

[Sir Stewart]

I once went to see The Hours and Old School back-to-back.

[gogo]

I once went to see The Hours and Old School back-to-back.

I seriously looked for the "like" button for this.

[Guest Speed Racer]

The lady got Shutter Island in the mail the other day from Netflix. She was somehow under the impression that I was not at all interested in seeing it, even though I told her I was excited to see it, and even though I told her I enjoyed it, and has rewarded me by moving two of my "not a devil's chance in hell" films up in the queue. "Hurt Locker" arrives today, and I haven't decided what the second will be.

 

Also, I'm looking forward to Poon's review of Avatar: New and Improved! after Friday.

[jff]

On Saturday night I watched The House Bunny and then listened to Captain Beefheart's Ice Cream for Crow. Tequila was involved.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

On Saturday night I watched The House Bunny and then listened to Captain Beefheart's Ice Cream for Crow. Tequila was involved.

 

 

I like Ice Cream.

 

And I watched The House Bunny once upon a time

 

The lady got Shutter Island in the mail the other day from Netflix. She was somehow under the impression that I was not at all interested in seeing it, even though I told her I was excited to see it, and even though I told her I enjoyed it, and has rewarded me by moving two of my "not a devil's chance in hell" films up in the queue. "Hurt Locker" arrives today, and I haven't decided what the second will be.

 

Also, I'm looking forward to Poon's review of Avatar: New and Improved! after Friday.

 

Hurt Locker was one intense movie. And definitely deserved the Oscar.

 

I once went to see The Hours and Old School back-to-back.

 

 

At least Old School was a good guy movie

[Moss]

When I was a wee lad my mom made me go see "You light up my life" in the theatre. Yes, a movie made to capitalize on the hit song. Nothing has ever topped that for me as far as sitting in a theatre just going nuts and wanting to leave.

[Guest Jules]

Hurt Locker was one intense movie. And definitely deserved the Oscar.

This was lost on me. I gave it two thumbs meh.

[Guest Speed Racer]

Saw it last night. For the second time in VC history, I think I might agree with Jules. It's definitely a downer, it's kinda well-made, but the storyline and character development are a bit "meh."

[Sir Stewart]

At least Old School was a good guy movie

 

Yeah, and The Hours wasn't bad either. You win (lose?)

[Guest Jules]

I think I might agree with Jules.

Feels pretty good, right?!

[Guest Speed Racer]

Even better than the second time! And, dare I say, easier.

[Guest Jules]

I get that a lot.

[Good Old Neon]

Back in high school, we drank behind the local Mall, hung out at the arcade and then, at the end of the night, took in a movie. I saw Dirty Dancing that way, high-school-drunk, and cried my fucking eyes out.

 

Then, a few years later, when it made its cable debut, I watched it again, this time I was sober - and it really sort of sucked.

 

Sober

 

 

 

 

..................................................Drunk

[jff]

When I was a wee lad my mom made me go see "You light up my life" in the theatre. Yes, a movie made to capitalize on the hit song. Nothing has ever topped that for me as far as sitting in a theatre just going nuts and wanting to leave.

 

For me it was Sense and Sensibility. I will physically fight anyone who tries to make me see that again.

 

 

EDIT: I actually meant to say The Age of Innocence, but either is sufficient.

[Atticus]

I loved The Age of Innocence.

[augurus]

This was lost on me. I gave it two thumbs meh.

I thought there was great simple storytelling, but I did not see the magical performances in the actors that would set them apart for best actor/supporting actor nominations.

[Guest Speed Racer]

I saw some great situation-presenting, myself. I know they were going for an illustration of the chaotic vignettes that together create the mosaic experience of combat, or some riff-raff like that, but it didn't carry well for me as a storyline.

[lamradio]

I wasn't really thinking about storyline or character development when I watched The Hurt Locker. I was mostly too busy thinking "holy shit this movie is intense".. And "wow this must be what combat is really like over there"... Even though a lot of war veterans have said that there were many unrealistic things about the movie, it felt very realistic and "like you are there"...

[u2roolz]

I actually quite enjoyed The Expendables. I didn't expect much and it delivered the goods. I was surprised that Stallone had the decency to try and develop the characters a little bit instead of relying on action constantly. Although, it felt like Jet Li got the shaft probably because he isn't that great of an actor or presence really. Dolph Lundgren looked like Frankenstein with his square chin.

 

Jeremy Renner was the shit in The Foot Locker. His acting was fantastic. It really came off as natural and you could really feel the tension through him and the bombs that he had to defuse. He looks like he'll have another great role in the upcoming The Town directed by that Bostonian duck Affleck.

 

In other news, I also enjoyed Piranha 3D. It felt like those old cheaply made drive-in movies that delivered the goods with not much to say.

 

Edit: With that being said I find it odd that you found The Expendables to be in the same self centered league as something like Eat Pray Love which I have not seen yet but have heard the same complaints about. The Expendables is escapism with a very broad & vague agenda that should satisfy those who like their movies apolitical, but that they can still get behind and ponder about joining the army to do such things to dastardly bad guys. I mean, the place where they end up going to to fight for and save is completely fictional. It walks a weird fine line of trying to be politically correct by not being about "Certain Current 'Important' Bad Guys to America", but it paints the villains as completely stereotypical at the same time. It's for the KISS crowd who like their movies with a steroid injection to get them roided up and ready to fight "terrists". The film doesn't work like that for me because I don't take these films seriously. I think there's a lot of folks out there who are serious about Cobra & Commando and don't look at those works as satirical ideas and images of muscle bound He-men trying to right some wrongs in the world. I mean the body count by John Rambo himself in the last one that came out is ridiculous. He literally kills like 500 men. If anyone thinks that they could be like this man, then they are delusional and somewhat suicidal thinking that they are completely invincible. Edit Part 2: To take things on a personal level I know some of these men who worship this tough guy image that Stallone & Arnold made famous in the 80s. All of these men ended up doing something along the lines of "being tough" or defending our country or something: Army, Marines, doorman, bar manager, concert security, security guard etc. It's strange to think of those types of films as some sort of propaganda. I'll have to look and see if there's any books that discuss this phenomena.

 

I guess it's interesting that these types of films are under the Action genre. Maybe it's because none of the heroes die. If the heroes die, then it becomes a war film?

[The Inside of Outside]

I cannot exprss how fully I hated these two pieces of shit. Both pandered and both were self involved and self congratulatory. Everyone involved with the making of these two movies should be ashamed of themselves.

 

This is hilarious! Tell us how you really feel. Don't hold anything back.

 

for God's sake don't go see Salt then. I could have written that "plot" during half a decent dump.

 

I believe that is how it was written. It will be on the "special features" section of the DVD.