I watched Fireproof the other night. The acting was pretty bad, but it made me cry, and I enjoyed it. It made me grateful for my parents.

I saw 10,000 BC when it was on TV the night before last. It was nothing like what I expected from the previews. It is just a typical story about a guy going after his kidnapped girl just set in the pre-historic. It is interesting that though the title says 10,000 BC, there only indication of the 'time period' is the presense of saber-tooth tigers and wooly mammoths. From a Biblical perspective, it could have just as easily taken place in the time of Abraham or from a evolutionary perspective, it would have taken place in 10,000 BC. It was interesting but not the epic film that it was made out to be. I'd say maybe a 6/10.

I watched The Pianist last weekend. It was ok. I mean it was a "good" movie I guess. It's just not the kind of movie that you can really like. I had to watch it for a college class and then dig into it like really think about lighting, shots, theme, camera angles, irony, foreshadowing, symbolism and all that. Which I am not very good at but I think I did ok with.

It was the first R rated movie I've ever seen and I expected it to be MUCH worse than it was. The violence didn't bother me at all. I mean, no it wasn't very nice to see but it didn't scare me or freak me out or make me afraid to sleep that night. (My entire family was out of town while I watched this so I was living alone for almost 3 weeks.)

Has anyone else seen it?

Oh gosh, that movie was awful! I'm not a stickler for minor historical details but Pearl Harbour was totally inaccurate.

I could compile a very lengthy list of inaccuracies in the film, but by far the most blatant are Affleck and the other guy (whose name escapes me right now) flying their P-40's over Pearl Harbor in a pitched dogfight (didn't happen), Affleck and his buddy (whose name is still eluding me) all of the sudden becoming medium bomber pilots on B-25's (on the Doolittle Raid, no less...quite a feat!), Affleck/Other Guy's girlfriend riding around like a sack of groceries on Other Guy's lap for the "romantic" nighttime fly around, Tom Sizemore shooting down a Zero with a shotgun... That one always gets me.

The destruction of the Arizona I think they captured quite well. The capsizing of the Oklahoma was a bit overwrought but they managed to get the gist of that as well. To be fair I think they were trying to make the battles look as exciting as possible, but the romance they forcibly injected into the film took away from this. For my money Tora, Tora, Tora! is still the best Pearl Harbor flick out there.

You do not change history to make America look better. It's just gag-worthy.

Could you cite some examples? I'm trying to figure out how we came out looking good by anything that was done in that movie.

I watched Fireproof the other night. The acting was pretty bad, but it made me cry, and I enjoyed it. It made me grateful for my parents.

I was pleasantly surprised by Fireproof. My wife brought it home from the library and I was kind of expecting a snoozer, but found myself rather liking the story. It's not Oscar worthy stuff but it's a good movie nonetheless.

I saw 10,000 BC when it was on TV the night before last. It was nothing like what I expected from the previews. It is just a typical story about a guy going after his kidnapped girl just set in the pre-historic. It is interesting that though the title says 10,000 BC, there only indication of the 'time period' is the presense of saber-tooth tigers and wooly mammoths. From a Biblical perspective, it could have just as easily taken place in the time of Abraham or from a evolutionary perspective, it would have taken place in 10,000 BC. It was interesting but not the epic film that it was made out to be. I'd say maybe a 6/10.

That was pretty much my score for the film as well, and for many of the same reasons. It was rather cool to see mammoths and sabretooth tigers but they're just a minor side element in a film that could have been set in just about any sword & sandal movie. Decent film but not great...still, the mammoths were very cool.

Well, for a start, Pearl Harbour made America look far more prepared for that attack than they really were. I think that's what got to me the most about the movie.

I watched Troll 2 over the weekend (it's infamous for being considered by many the worst film of all time). I would not consider it the worst film of all time, because although it fails miserably at it's original goal (which is to be scary), it is hilarious and very entertaining. For me, the worst film of all time would not only have to be poorly done but also be very boring.

Almost spoiler-free review:

MAKE-UP (2/10)
Although most of the makeup was laughably horrible, some of it did look realistic, such as the clover-shaped moles on everybody in the town of nilbog. For the most part though, the makeup was much worse than the BBC Narnia films. Only one of the goblins had a face that was actually able to move.

MUSIC (SCORE) (2/10)
The music sounds like a MIDI file which makes it reek of unprofessionalism, and is often very upbeat which destroys much of the scariness of the goblin scenes. However, as stand alone songs, they are quite catchy and are well-composed.

ACTING (3/10)
Most of the acting was pretty cheesy and horrible, but were a fair amount of scenes were the acting wasn't really that bad. It some instances was noticable that it was the director's fault for instructing the actors to play out a part in the wrong way. And the cheesiest lines were so cheesy they became funny.

CINEMATOGRAPHY (4/10)
It's not inventive at all, but it does it's job. You can tell what's going on in each scene, and there are adequate amounts of camera angles. It's not like Birdemic where the cinematography really detracts from the story.

COSTUME DESIGN (1/10)
There are some areas where the film was really is awful, and this is one of them. The costumes for the goblins are burlap bags.

DIRECTING (1/10)
I don't know what the director was thinking when he filmed some of the scenes. Things that are obviously wrong but easily fixable are everywhere.

EDITING (3/10)
There are some major pacing problems in a few scenes where moments are held out too long.

SCREENPLAY (1/10)
Consists of a plot that only makes sense if you don't think about it. The biggest problem with this movie is the basic concepts of Nilbog make no sense whatsoever. But, of course, that's why it's so funny.

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE (7/10)
Sure, I enjoy a well done film more, but there's something undeniably entertaining about watching a failed piece of cinema.

FAMILY-FRIENDLINESS (No)
This movie has the potential to scare little children, who would most likely not even understand the hilarity of the film anyway.

Well, for a start, Pearl Harbour made America look far more prepared for that attack than they really were. I think that's what got to me the most about the movie.

I'll be the first to agree that the US could have been more prepared. Heaven knows there were opportunities to do so on the very morning of the attack (the USS Ward intercepting a Japanese midget sub hours before the attack, the radar picking up the incoming Japanese squadrons at Opana Point, the breaking of the Japanese diplomatic code let us know something was definitely afoot and imminent on short notice), but we were totally and completely caught flatfooted by the attack, no doubt. The defenders were in a "peace time" mentality which is why no one took the steps to prepare that should have been taken, or taken the numerous warnings to heart. And the icing on the cake were that the Japanese pilots were so very much better pilots than those we had and were flying greatly superior aircraft, if you toss aside the absence of self sealing fuel tanks and lack of armor (the Zero was like a Rapier...the Warhawk was more like a cudgel. Both hurt but in different ways and uses).

To be honest I never really got the idea that the movie portrayed that we were really all that prepared for the attack. Had Nagumo waited another 24 hours he'd have caught the Enterprise in dock and could have really put a dent in our defenses (thank goodness he was over cautious and didn't launch a 3rd wave!). Is that what you were talking about or something else?

Tora, Tora, Tora! is still the better movie.

No, Shadowlander, you're right on the money. Thanks!

Shadowlander said

I was pleasantly surprised by Fireproof. My wife brought it home from the library and I was kind of expecting a snoozer, but found myself rather liking the story. It's not Oscar worthy stuff but it's a good movie nonetheless.

Exactly! I wasn't expecting much either, I'd heard bad things about it, but it's definitely a good message and a very moving movie.
Oh, and hilarious bloopers!!!

Bella and Fencer, I highly 'thumbs up' both your thoughts on The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. I think it might have been Alyosha from whom I first heard about the film. I rented it from the video store at a time I was alone, because of the rumour that

My wish is that Maria's character in the film has been developed more. I enjoyed the few parts she was in. And didn't you just love Pavel?! Honestly, as I go over every one of the actors/actresses in my mind, there is not one who gave a mediocre job, but that scene after Bruno hurt himself falling off the tire swing in the kitchen with Pavel is just too moving. And then the mom's struggle with saying 'thank you'. Whoa!

Well, you can imagine, after I watched it, I asked my family to sit down to see it with me; then I bought the book and gobbled it up. After that I have been recommending it to whomever I can. It's an all-time favourite, and sits right up there with Amazing Grace. The fact that it's from a child's viewpoint is brilliant. The innocence Bruno exhibits as to what is going on is heart-wrenching.

The casting in the film was excellent, particularly the boy actors! I've been trying to hunt down the soundtrack, which I love—the piano and string combination, while simple, is just beautiful—but as of a month ago, it was only available for an MP3 download. I would prefer a hard copy CD and will keep looking ... I'd also like to find the sheet music. Thank you, James Horner!

Here is a sample. *gets the goosebumps listening*

EDIT: Ach, can't help it: here's another one. The rather uncertain, yet propelling motion, in this piece as Bruno runs through the forest for the first time is awesome!

The World War II era has always fascinated me, so this powerful, poignant, emotional film—which could have happened—is top notch. (Not recommended for young children because of the disturbing, 'though non-graphic, content.)

EDIT: narnian_at_heart, after reading a summary of The Pianist, I will hopefully be renting that in the near future.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas- terrific movie! I own it.
The Pianist- terrific movie as well!

Pajamas is much easier to watch since it's from a child's viewpoint. The ending was unexpected though, made it all the more real though. It's also what made my father not like it.

Pianist is a difficult watch, some of those scenes, can't believe it. Still it isn't tougher than Schindler's List- a movie I swore I'd never see again, after being forced to see it at the age of 12.

Fireproof was much better than Facing the Giants, but that's not saying a whole lot. I think the movie makers should just make documentaries of movies because their bloopers and behind the scenes material are much more interesting than the movies themselves. And far less preachy.

Warrior 4 Jesus,
I disagree here, I don't like most christian movies because of them being so preachy. But these are exceptions, even if they are preachy. I love Facing the Giants, and think Fireproof is great too. and I don't like the blooper stuff.

Has anyone ever seen Remember the Titans? It's a football movie, but probably my very favorite sports movie. It's really not about football.
I didn't think I would like it, when I first watched it, but that was two years ago, and I've seen it three other time's since then!! I love it, Denzel Washington is great in it, and it's very funny.
Of course, it's kind of easy to tell what happens in the end, like all sports movie's. Why can't they make one, where the good guys *lose*?

They did, We Are Marshall. In the tragedy of the plane crash that wiped out the entire Marshall football program in one night, the story is about how the school regrouped. They won only two games in that season (of course they showed one they won). It wasn't about them winning titles or anything, but how they recovered from perhaps the worst sports tragedy in history.