Back to the Future was the last thing I watched. I love that movie, it's so cheesy but it always brings back good memories.

Lea Thompson looked GREAT in that movie

I think I'm developing insomnia.

Currently watching: Ghostbusters. For about the 100000th time. Much love for Venkman. Or however you spell it. I'm too wired/lazy to look it up right now.

Yesterday I finally managed to watch Crash.

I admit I was a little biased because this movie was awarded BP at the Oscars instead of my beloved Brokeback Mountain. :p

But at the end I found it to be a good movie. Very good, in fact. Definitely not a great movie, nothing unforgettable (which BBM is, IMO) but certainly a movie with a message, thought provoking and very well acted. So its victory at the oscars isn't such a scandal....if only BBM wasn't among its competitors. Just my two cents, as usual....

Bullets Over Broadway (1994, Woody Allen)

Great acting all around. A very funny film, and contains alot of familiar faces. Dianne West really deserved her Oscar here. (even against Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction) Another great film by Woody Allen.

CRASH....or, when melodramatic mediocrity triumphs over evil once again!

well, that's why Crash won BP, I guess.... Haven't you felt better after watching it?

Match Point
Man, what a great movie. Definately doent have (much) of a Woody Allen feel.A boring pretentious piece about Brittish upper class. For the first 90 minustes I couldnt figure out why it was Allen's "grand slam". But the last half hour makes it all worthwhile. I cant help but smile as I type this

Amazing 4/4

Kill Bill volume 2

I do not understand this at all i suppose you have to be into this kinda thing but hey this is weird no really weird. The women is said to have a sister but it never says that she does someone please explain to me what the movie is all about and make me understand it!!!

Another film watched at school.

American History X - (Tony Kaye;1998;USA)
After a Neo-Nazi is released from prison, he tries to save his younger brother from the same fate.
There may be one or two instances in this film that go a little far with melodrama, but that aside, this is a very powerful film. Kaye manages to hold it together with a taut direction, and the performances are even better, especially from Edward Norton, in what may be his best role acting-wise. The scene where Norton is arrested in the street is piercing, and the image of him with that glare on his face is burned into my mind. It also has more to say about racism than Crash.

AMERICAN HISTORY X is about as deep as a piece of paper, in terms of writing and directing.

However, it is the ACTING that makes this movie worth watching, from Edward Norton's Oscar-nominated turn to even Ed Furlong(before his smack-addiction killed his career) doing solid work, and hey, I can't say no to THE Keach!

If anything, the movie's greatest scene to which I liked in terms of writing is one that hardly anyone talks about.

*SPOILERS*

With Furlong writing that flashback to Norton's executions of those black criminals, remember that he types of how Furlong, if he had fully testified to what he saw, would have probably sent his older brother to a life/death sentence instead of a 7-year(or 5, I can't remember) prison term.

Then again, I sort of prefer the original scripted ending, to which with no dialogue, we watch how after his little brother's death at the school, Edward Norton then proceeds to shave his hair off. However, not with the angry viciousness that we saw his eyes display earlier as a skinhead, but now his eyes are just totally disapointed, disillusioned, you name it.

Still, a good film...and yes, it wipes its ass with that piece of shit CRASH. Funny enough, I'm surprised that Lavinia hasn't gone MAMA MIA over me for not liking it, like with DEER HUNTER and others.


AMERICAN HISTORY X(1998) - ***

What, by the way, does American History X have to say that Crash doesn't? Does a film need to "say" anything in order to be considered better than another, in order to be considered "good" at all?

Well Capo, what I do know is that there is certainly flashes of great acting in AHX that doesn't exist in CRASH.

In fact, I'm gonna write a fuck-you parody of CRASH and call it WRECK, and basically make a whole parody of the absolute melodrama and its shit. Funny enough, it would probably win an Oscar!

If it's not saying anything then what's it there for?

"Say" as in educate?

Art has no purpose other than to exist in a state of constant subjectivity, to the point that even a work of art's reason for having been made is down to personal opinion; it comes with no responsibility responsibility to teach or educate or inform. "Meaning", in Art, as is "Message", is abstract; it goes beyond narrative understanding or subtracting concrete intentions of authors.

It produces in us feelings of which only Nature is capable. In fact, I'd say Art is merely an internalisation of the external Nature in which it exists, in which it is created. It is an aesthetic, artificial response to the world, a reflection of its beauty, and yearning for comprehension of that beauty. Ugliness (racism in this case) is just an irregular form of beauty (human condition, nature, life in general, whatever that is supposed to be); because ugliness is mostly always considered something to "tackle" (hence "issue films" such as Crash and whatnot), many assume the films that do so are meant to, or are indeed supposed to, educate us and teach us all how to be better human beings. Whether or not they do is besides the point, since that would be down to audience involvement, not artistic intentions. We don't understand anything, so a work of art has no right, or responsibility, or qualification, to teach us.

So, to relate all of what I just said to what we're talking about, what, beyond "Racism is bad" (which is common sense anyway) does American History X "say" that Crash does not?

AMX for me, shows racism in a negative light, but most of all, a realistic one. It doesn't just say it's bad but also explores where it comes from and how impressionable people can build up to it. It also shows some genuine annoyances that can sound racist, but really aren't, like one or two things Derek's father says.

I do agree with Ronnie though, it would've been better with the original ending.

I agree.

Funny, I got this response when I posted that I liked the original ending at another message board,

Type a simple "no" to that response.

Mick, are you sure you are only 18? How can a 18 years old boy be so knowledgeable and wise without being also unbearably tedious?
I feel like embracing you now, darling.

(((((((((((((((((((Mick)))))))))))))))))))))))

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof ***

Great performances by Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor. It kinda felt like I was watching A Streetcar Named Desire when I was watching this

Born on the 4th of July
Stone/1989

This was a really great film. A stellar performance from Tom Cruise really showcasing his early talents. I had also just finished Magnolia, so it was nice to see the differences in his work a decade earlier. Stone's direction is visually stunning, seemingly perfect, and yet also creative and unrestricted. I especially liked the ending sequence, just a great summation of the sentiments of the film and also its main character.

Very deserving of its Oscar wins for Best Director and Best Editing. I question why it lost for Best Picture although I admit I haven't seen Driving Ms. Daisy.

Le Samouraï (Melville/1967/France) (1st time)

I'll reserve my final rating until I view the film again (I have to watch a film at least twice before I'm comfortable rating it). Suffice it to say, my expectations were rather high for this film. I was impressed. I'm most impressed at how Melville draws us into the story before a word is even spoken.

This is my first Melville film, and after watching this, I'm anxious to check out more of his work.

Glad you liked it. I've seen some of Melville's work, but eMule's ridiculously slow downloading lately has hindered me from seeing more of his or anyone else's work.

Le Samouraï The Samurai
Le Cercle Rouge The Red Circle
Bob le flambeur Bob the Gambler
Le Doulos The Finger Man
Un Flic A Cop

I watched this today as well. My second time. It was even better than the first.

Inside Man *

The theme is bank robbery. Clive owen and Denzel Washington do a good job, but the movie has nothing great to offer.

Thank You For Smoking
2006/Reitman

Starring Aaron Eckhart, William H. Macy, Robert Duvall, Katie Holmes, Rob Lowe, Sam Elliot, and Maria Bello.

I had fairly high expectations going into this film as it's getting pretty solid reviews all across the board and it sports a stellar cast. I was happy that I was able to go into the film knowing not much more than that though, so I had a fairly open mind.

The film wasn't exactly what I thought it'd be. A kind of strange cross behind an outright satire and a regular dramatic piece, the film seemed as though it couldn't make up its mind as to which direction to go, and this versatility didn't make it any better.

I was happy with Aaron Eckhart's performance in the first film I've seen him in. And I thought the rest of the cast was pretty perfect for their parts as well. I especially liked the inclusion of David Koechner who I recognized from Anchorman.

Duvall was in excellent form. He seems to be fully embracing his status as senior statesman of Hollywood. His scenes were good but I felt he was somewhat under-used. Reitman's direction was nothing fantastic to speak of. Solid but not spectacular, with a few inspired moments here and there.

One unintentionally funny moment in the film was our introduction to Katie Holmes' character. Before we ever see her, she is described as being amazingly gorgeous, great body, simply stunning, etc, etc. And then after all that build-up, we get plain little Katie Holmes, who I've never found that attractive. Seems as though the writing didn't quite fit her exactly.

Overall, the film was just ok. It got a bit too moral and cutesy at times with the storyline with Eckhart's son, but it all came out alright in the end.

3/5 Stars

Ali
2001/Mann

Starring Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight, Mario Van Peebles, Mykelti Williamson, and Jada Pinkett Smith

Spike Lee seems to have summed it up best when he questioned how a "boring film could be made about one of the most exciting figures of the 20th century." To me, that's exactly what this film came off as; boring. Uninspired. Yes, Will Smith's transformation from Fresh Prince to boxing legend is an admirable one, and yes, there is little wrong with Mann's lighting, shot framing, and overall composition. But for christsakes, for a film that tells the viewers very little about its subject, why is this thing so god damn long?

But, I did really enjoy Jon Voight's performance as Howard Cosell. I'm glad he received a well-deserved Best Supporting Actor nod. And Mykelti Williamson as Don King was a nice addition to the last half of the film.

As far as the film itself, in this one, unfortunately, boredom delivers a knockout punch.

2.5/5 Stars

Am I the only one who thinks Michael Mann did a very good job with Ali?

I think he proved Spike Lee flat out wrong in that "only a black filmmaker could do it justice."

Haven't seen Ali but I think that Spike Lee if he did say that, was an arrogant and racist prick for having said so. I'm not black, but does that mean that I can't write a book about Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Colin Powell, Malcolm X or whoever...give me a break. :rolleyes:

Although I agree with Lee's dislike of this film, I do not agree that the fault lies in the fact that Mann is white.

I don't even think Mann is untalented. I love Heat, Thief, and Collateral, but he just made some strange choices with this film.