- Apr 4, 2008
- 74,939
- 24,349
Lol ok yeah I remember MMG. My bad Oregon folk. Contiue with whatever you guys do up there.
Oh I'm sorry, Did I Break Your Conversation........Well Allow Me A Movie Thread by S&T
- Sep 10, 2011
- 27,788
- 12,457
CAN'T WAIT
lawdog1
Supporter
- Sep 14, 2000
- 60,158
- 72,650
Checked out Celeste and Jesse Forever on cable tonight. Good, not great. I liked how it took a different angle on relationship movies and it was nice to see Rashida Jones in a role that required a little more range from her, but it was slow and a little melodramatic at times. Bottom line, worth a watch, particularly if you have nothing else going on, which was the case with me tonight.
An added plus for me was that Ari Graynor is in it, who I have developed a crush on. Not quite sure why.
An added plus for me was that Ari Graynor is in it, who I have developed a crush on. Not quite sure why.
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big j 33
Supporter
- May 31, 2006
- 36,043
- 16,801
That's basically the same thing I felt after seeing Celese and Jesse.
Also, if anyone is in the mood for a new show to binge watch... Orange is the New Black is really solid.
Also, if anyone is in the mood for a new show to binge watch... Orange is the New Black is really solid.
- Mar 3, 2006
- 24,717
- 436
So. The Conjuring.
When I first saw the trailer, I was like ehh, whatever. Then I saw it was going to be James Wan's newest flick. James Wan can do no wrong if he's in the directorial seat.
James Wan (along with Leigh Whannell) created the mega-franchise that ended up being Saw. He spearheaded the entire project, and at the time, Saw was an amazing step forward in horror. It broke new ground. Unfortunately, the series lost it's luster pretty much as soon as the first film ended.
After that he created Dead Silence, a very underrated gem that actually seemed to influence the intro of The Conjuring, which I'll get to in a few. Leigh was also attached to this film, and although the script is a little more shallow, and the acting is mixed, Ryan Kwanten and Donnie Wahlberg make a memorable duo and the film is quite memorable.
Next was Insidious. I loved Insidious. It's undeniable that it fell off some after the first half, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Again, Leigh was attached, and they had the same love for the genre expressed all over again. Insidious was fresh, and it seems like since it came out, other films have been trying to capitalize on the buzz that Insidious was able to build. I've probably seen a dozen films that have tried to copy and emulate the vibe that Insidious left audiences. Off the top of my head, there's Sinister, Dark Skies, The Possession, The Apparition, The Devil Inside, and the Paranormal sequels to an extent too.
And that's where The Conjuring comes in. I felt like I was getting into another one of these before I started watching the trailer.
As usual, I tried to keep exposure to the film at a minimum. I watched the trailer once or twice, saw it in the theaters maybe once, and didn't read up on it.
I feel like this is a mesh of all of the films I mentioned prior. Just about every single one except Saw.
I understand that this is supposedly based on true stories/events, but I kind of wish they didn't even mention that. I hate when horror films try to market a film by saying it's based on actual events, unless were talking about a biopic. Despite that, I felt like the film established the Warrens' very well. Vera and Patrick were awesome together. I loved Vera prior to Bates Motel, but she left me kind of shaky on her after her over-the-top portrayal of Norma Bates. The chemistry between Patrick Wilson and Vera worked. Not only was the script very-well made, but the performances themselves were also well done. If there's anything that this film does WAY better than the rest of modern horror films, is that the script is top-notch, and the performances are superb for the genre. Another great performance were all the kids, and the dad especially. Ron Livingston was great, and portrayed probably the best father in horror films since The Amityville Horror. The little girl Christine and Cindy were both fantastic for being such young actors. Joey King (Christine) has such a memorable performance, I was shocked how well she played her character. Not your typical overacting from your child-actors. A lot of these child horror actors are dumb, pointless, and just scream all film. The intern and the police officer also provided some much needed relief after so much tention. They play very well off each-other, and although they play stereotypes, they don't go overboard. Just because the intern is Asian, every other line doesn't mention it.
My favorite line of the film is, "I need a U V light."
. It comes at such an odd time, but it's so needed, and it fit so well in the scene.
There's only one performance that left me scratching my head. That of the mother. At first I thought it was Marcia Gay, but after looking it up, I realized why I had such an issue with her performance. The last horror film I remember seeing her in... The Haunting. That dreaded film with Liam and Owen Wilson. She wasn't as terrible in this, but I felt like she didn't hold up her end of the bargain when it came to her acting. I've seen so many better protagonists in these films. Pretty much everyone in this film, Patrick Wilson in Insidious, Ethan Hawke in Sinister, the young girl from The Last Exorcism, and plenty more.
What also surprised me is this film held back a lot. This was Rated R. I expected there to be more diabolical undertones. There were a couple gory scenes, and while it doesn't make a film, I felt like the shock factor was held back so much. I felt like this was a PG-13 film in a lot of parts. Almost all of the scenes prior to the possession scene were very harmless. There isn't anything in here that Paranormal, Insidious, or any of the similar PG-13 horror films didn't already do. And when they finally get to the climax, after seeing the recent update to Evil Dead, I didn't feel like any of the scenes were to graphic. I felt like The Last Exorcism handled their exorcism scene so much better. It was cool to see the demon hanging upside down.
All of the ghost scenes I thought worked VERY well though. James Wan is excellent at that. Those were the best scenes in Insidious. From the hide-and-seek clap game, to the mother on the cabinet, to the little girl banging her head on the door, to all of the cellar scenes, to the little toy box, it was all superb. Wan paces them so well. He understands where the camera should be, and doesn't always just rely on jump-scares. All of the stories that were established beforehand all seem like they'd be perfect for prequel material. The maid killing herself. The mother hanging herself. The mother killing her son.
If there's one other thing that I felt the film didn't accomplish, is that they didn't really seem to break any new ground. No, a film doesn't need to do that to be a great film, and I think this film was great, but it could've been something more. Saw broke new ground for shock/torture-porn. Paranromal brought the lost footage genre back, Insidious brought back the supernatural ghost stories, and even Sinister did something special by really focusing on the tension and horror of it all. If it's not quite making sense, I guess I can say that The Conjuring seemed like it was holding back at times. I don't know what the reason was for holding back, James Wan has made far gorier (Saw), but it just tame. After setting up such an excellent first half of the film, I'd say flawless, they didn't really deliver in the climax. It was getting there, and once she was possessed, it kind of just ended.
I mentioned earlier about a tie-in with Dead Silence. The doll in Dead Silence really reminded me of Annabelle so much. It was a mix of that doll, and Chucky. And a bit of Billy from Saw. . I was glad they didn't focus on that doll in the film, although it was fun that it made a cameo at the end with Vera/Patrick's child. A whole film based on the doll wouldn't be fresh, but having a little sub-plot about the doll worked just fine.
A sequel is already in the works, and I'll look forward to it, but I am looking forward to Insidious 2 more than the next Conjuring film.
It was great, but it had a few flaws that glared out to me. I have high standards when a horror film gets critical success, and I expect some innovation. I don't think we saw any in The Conjuring, but it's still very good. I personally enjoyed The Cabin in the Woods more, because it was different, AND it was great.
We'll see if The Conjuring keeps James Wan attached. If not, I'll approach with caution.
9/10.
When I first saw the trailer, I was like ehh, whatever. Then I saw it was going to be James Wan's newest flick. James Wan can do no wrong if he's in the directorial seat.
James Wan (along with Leigh Whannell) created the mega-franchise that ended up being Saw. He spearheaded the entire project, and at the time, Saw was an amazing step forward in horror. It broke new ground. Unfortunately, the series lost it's luster pretty much as soon as the first film ended.
After that he created Dead Silence, a very underrated gem that actually seemed to influence the intro of The Conjuring, which I'll get to in a few. Leigh was also attached to this film, and although the script is a little more shallow, and the acting is mixed, Ryan Kwanten and Donnie Wahlberg make a memorable duo and the film is quite memorable.
Next was Insidious. I loved Insidious. It's undeniable that it fell off some after the first half, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Again, Leigh was attached, and they had the same love for the genre expressed all over again. Insidious was fresh, and it seems like since it came out, other films have been trying to capitalize on the buzz that Insidious was able to build. I've probably seen a dozen films that have tried to copy and emulate the vibe that Insidious left audiences. Off the top of my head, there's Sinister, Dark Skies, The Possession, The Apparition, The Devil Inside, and the Paranormal sequels to an extent too.
And that's where The Conjuring comes in. I felt like I was getting into another one of these before I started watching the trailer.
As usual, I tried to keep exposure to the film at a minimum. I watched the trailer once or twice, saw it in the theaters maybe once, and didn't read up on it.
I feel like this is a mesh of all of the films I mentioned prior. Just about every single one except Saw.
I understand that this is supposedly based on true stories/events, but I kind of wish they didn't even mention that. I hate when horror films try to market a film by saying it's based on actual events, unless were talking about a biopic. Despite that, I felt like the film established the Warrens' very well. Vera and Patrick were awesome together. I loved Vera prior to Bates Motel, but she left me kind of shaky on her after her over-the-top portrayal of Norma Bates. The chemistry between Patrick Wilson and Vera worked. Not only was the script very-well made, but the performances themselves were also well done. If there's anything that this film does WAY better than the rest of modern horror films, is that the script is top-notch, and the performances are superb for the genre. Another great performance were all the kids, and the dad especially. Ron Livingston was great, and portrayed probably the best father in horror films since The Amityville Horror. The little girl Christine and Cindy were both fantastic for being such young actors. Joey King (Christine) has such a memorable performance, I was shocked how well she played her character. Not your typical overacting from your child-actors. A lot of these child horror actors are dumb, pointless, and just scream all film. The intern and the police officer also provided some much needed relief after so much tention. They play very well off each-other, and although they play stereotypes, they don't go overboard. Just because the intern is Asian, every other line doesn't mention it.
My favorite line of the film is, "I need a U V light."
. It comes at such an odd time, but it's so needed, and it fit so well in the scene. There's only one performance that left me scratching my head. That of the mother. At first I thought it was Marcia Gay, but after looking it up, I realized why I had such an issue with her performance. The last horror film I remember seeing her in... The Haunting. That dreaded film with Liam and Owen Wilson. She wasn't as terrible in this, but I felt like she didn't hold up her end of the bargain when it came to her acting. I've seen so many better protagonists in these films. Pretty much everyone in this film, Patrick Wilson in Insidious, Ethan Hawke in Sinister, the young girl from The Last Exorcism, and plenty more.
What also surprised me is this film held back a lot. This was Rated R. I expected there to be more diabolical undertones. There were a couple gory scenes, and while it doesn't make a film, I felt like the shock factor was held back so much. I felt like this was a PG-13 film in a lot of parts. Almost all of the scenes prior to the possession scene were very harmless. There isn't anything in here that Paranormal, Insidious, or any of the similar PG-13 horror films didn't already do. And when they finally get to the climax, after seeing the recent update to Evil Dead, I didn't feel like any of the scenes were to graphic. I felt like The Last Exorcism handled their exorcism scene so much better. It was cool to see the demon hanging upside down.
All of the ghost scenes I thought worked VERY well though. James Wan is excellent at that. Those were the best scenes in Insidious. From the hide-and-seek clap game, to the mother on the cabinet, to the little girl banging her head on the door, to all of the cellar scenes, to the little toy box, it was all superb. Wan paces them so well. He understands where the camera should be, and doesn't always just rely on jump-scares. All of the stories that were established beforehand all seem like they'd be perfect for prequel material. The maid killing herself. The mother hanging herself. The mother killing her son.
If there's one other thing that I felt the film didn't accomplish, is that they didn't really seem to break any new ground. No, a film doesn't need to do that to be a great film, and I think this film was great, but it could've been something more. Saw broke new ground for shock/torture-porn. Paranromal brought the lost footage genre back, Insidious brought back the supernatural ghost stories, and even Sinister did something special by really focusing on the tension and horror of it all. If it's not quite making sense, I guess I can say that The Conjuring seemed like it was holding back at times. I don't know what the reason was for holding back, James Wan has made far gorier (Saw), but it just tame. After setting up such an excellent first half of the film, I'd say flawless, they didn't really deliver in the climax. It was getting there, and once she was possessed, it kind of just ended.
I mentioned earlier about a tie-in with Dead Silence. The doll in Dead Silence really reminded me of Annabelle so much. It was a mix of that doll, and Chucky. And a bit of Billy from Saw.
. I was glad they didn't focus on that doll in the film, although it was fun that it made a cameo at the end with Vera/Patrick's child. A whole film based on the doll wouldn't be fresh, but having a little sub-plot about the doll worked just fine.A sequel is already in the works, and I'll look forward to it, but I am looking forward to Insidious 2 more than the next Conjuring film.
It was great, but it had a few flaws that glared out to me. I have high standards when a horror film gets critical success, and I expect some innovation. I don't think we saw any in The Conjuring, but it's still very good. I personally enjoyed The Cabin in the Woods more, because it was different, AND it was great.
We'll see if The Conjuring keeps James Wan attached. If not, I'll approach with caution.
9/10.
You and that ************* Cabin in the Woods.
The credits in Conjuring >>>>>>> entire Cabin film.
New "fresher" take absolutely does not make something better. That reality watching crap doesn't beat top notch acting across the board from 4 leads + 5 kids along with superb directing and a well crafted story. You off your rocker with that Cabin spoofy ********.
Annabelle was a PERFECT way to introduce the Warrens before the actual start of anything in the house. Gave them credibility with their "museum" and such.
No cussing, no nudity, very little blood, still rated R. That is an incredible feat and a testament to Wan.
- Mar 3, 2006
- 24,717
- 436
We'll just leave Cabin alone. No, just because it wasn't innovative doesn't mean it wasn't great, or that it wasn't new or fresh enough to be good, but I felt like it was a film that capitalized on everything that was established in horror films prior, that's all.
Do you not agree that the mother was the weakest of the four leads though? I felt like Vera blew her out the water.
I feel like Wan got the R because of a few scenes he strongly wanted in the film. If not for those scenes, it would've been PG13. I just wish he would've pushed the envelope more in that climax. The climax didn't live up to the hype that was in the build-up.
Lily Taylor? ...........yeah, of the 4 I like her the least, but she was still really good. Honestly I've never really liked her. So she may rank 4th, but she still put up a very solid performance. Best of her career that I know of.
Comparing her to Vera isn't fair tho, Vera does work in everything she does.
Certainly they didn't reinvent the wheel but they absolutely stayed straight, didn't stray, kept focused from start to finish and never lost the story. I watched Haunting in Connecticut the other night and they just threw scenes at me just cuz. TONS of horror movies do that. Conjuring did not. They treated it like a typical drama/suspense story that just happened to have some freaky ****.
For instance, the 8 days subplot. They could have shown what caused that, gone way overboard within the story and overextended themselves with some Devil/Alien hybrid, but they didn't. Less is more. They let you wonder what could be so bad to cause that. I loved that.
I want nothing more than to see/hear more stories from the Warrens, but they didn't push any of that on you outside of Annabelle who was used perfectly.
BTW, loved the Amityville reference.
Comparing her to Vera isn't fair tho, Vera does work in everything she does.
Certainly they didn't reinvent the wheel but they absolutely stayed straight, didn't stray, kept focused from start to finish and never lost the story. I watched Haunting in Connecticut the other night and they just threw scenes at me just cuz. TONS of horror movies do that. Conjuring did not. They treated it like a typical drama/suspense story that just happened to have some freaky ****.
For instance, the 8 days subplot. They could have shown what caused that, gone way overboard within the story and overextended themselves with some Devil/Alien hybrid, but they didn't. Less is more. They let you wonder what could be so bad to cause that. I loved that.
I want nothing more than to see/hear more stories from the Warrens, but they didn't push any of that on you outside of Annabelle who was used perfectly.
BTW, loved the Amityville reference.
- Nov 17, 2004
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- Mar 3, 2006
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That's fair.
Though, The Haunting in Connecticut isn't a fair representation of what I was really mentioning, but I understand that it's a massive effort ot see most of the trash I've seen, along with the actual good ones.
If I had to say which films I felt like it reminded me of most..
Insidious X The Last Exorcism X Sinister.
But that said, I can probably name twenty different films where I can see influences from other films.
Though, The Haunting in Connecticut isn't a fair representation of what I was really mentioning, but I understand that it's a massive effort ot see most of the trash I've seen, along with the actual good ones.
If I had to say which films I felt like it reminded me of most..
Insidious X The Last Exorcism X Sinister.
But that said, I can probably name twenty different films where I can see influences from other films.
- Mar 3, 2006
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People actually liked Spring Breakers?
Man. Too gratuitous, and tried too hard.
The script was terrible, and I'd say the acting was horrible, but given that script, I can't blame them.
Hated it. Hated all of it.
I'm all for actors doing things they haven't done before, but Franco was too much.
Man. Too gratuitous, and tried too hard.
The script was terrible, and I'd say the acting was horrible, but given that script, I can't blame them.
Hated it. Hated all of it.
I'm all for actors doing things they haven't done before, but Franco was too much.
Well, you can't really invent any new horrors man. Everything will relate to Exorcist, or Howling, or werewolves, or haunted houses, etc. Ghosts, cults, Satan, etc.
Unless someone makes a movie about killer 1 year olds at your local atms, there's nothing "new" to cover. So Conjuring has no choice but to be influenced by previous stories.
Still, even with all that, this was EASILY the best horror flick I've seen come out in decades. And I already have heard some mention best ever, top 3, top 5 etc.
My own wife put it above Exorcist, which scares the **** outta her. But that movie does drag in spots, we both felt Conjuring was strong credit to credit. No weak moments. Tense the whole way thru.
Possible prisoner of the moment, but the last "scary" movie to do anything for me was Scream. 17 years ago. Nothing else comes close, imo. And Scream is hardly a horror flick really.
Unless someone makes a movie about killer 1 year olds at your local atms, there's nothing "new" to cover. So Conjuring has no choice but to be influenced by previous stories.
Still, even with all that, this was EASILY the best horror flick I've seen come out in decades. And I already have heard some mention best ever, top 3, top 5 etc.
My own wife put it above Exorcist, which scares the **** outta her. But that movie does drag in spots, we both felt Conjuring was strong credit to credit. No weak moments. Tense the whole way thru.
Possible prisoner of the moment, but the last "scary" movie to do anything for me was Scream. 17 years ago. Nothing else comes close, imo. And Scream is hardly a horror flick really.
- Mar 3, 2006
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You mentioned Scream? Alright here's where I bow out.
Not because I don't think it's a good film, but I hold quite a few films since then higher than Scream, but I don't want to open that can of worms.
Not because I don't think it's a good film, but I hold quite a few films since then higher than Scream, but I don't want to open that can of worms.
No, I'm saying, Scream isn't even horror to me at this point.
But it was in the ballpark in 96. Honestly it was Cabin before Cabin. (Cept it was good)
There isn't jack **** since that was better, I know that. Blair Witch tried but was a massive failure. Paranormal series tried. But they are mostly weak. Saw isn't horror either.
Nothing else moves the needle.
But it was in the ballpark in 96. Honestly it was Cabin before Cabin. (Cept it was good)
There isn't jack **** since that was better, I know that. Blair Witch tried but was a massive failure. Paranormal series tried. But they are mostly weak. Saw isn't horror either.
Nothing else moves the needle.
- Mar 3, 2006
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- 436
Just for comparisons sake, if I had to name a film that has altered the way I view horror, it's 28 Days Later. A lot of people like it, but I personally am attached to the film. I love it. Probably the same way you love Scream.
And if there were one title that no one ever mentions, French film called Inside. Off the charts for me. I'd recommend that over any horror movie that has come out in the past 25 years just because of how intense it is. There are films I enjoy more, but Inside is a gem that hardly no one ever talks about. Was released back in 2007.
And if there were one title that no one ever mentions, French film called Inside. Off the charts for me. I'd recommend that over any horror movie that has come out in the past 25 years just because of how intense it is. There are films I enjoy more, but Inside is a gem that hardly no one ever talks about. Was released back in 2007.
- Mar 3, 2006
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Let's bookend this with this statement, that I think we both can agree on.
The Conjuring. It's a horror film. Scream, The Cabin in the Woods, Jennifer's Body, Zombieland, Shaun of the Dead, Saw, etc. Those aren't horror films, they just have elements of horror in them.
This isn't Friday the 13th, or Nightmare on Elm St.
This is The Exorcist, for today's movie-goers. No jump scares, no serial killer, no slasher coming to get you.
They rely on good story telling, good directing, and good acting to portray tension and fear. I don't think there's a more straight-forward way to look at horror than that.
It's absolutely the best horror film to come around in quite some time.
The Conjuring. It's a horror film. Scream, The Cabin in the Woods, Jennifer's Body, Zombieland, Shaun of the Dead, Saw, etc. Those aren't horror films, they just have elements of horror in them.
This isn't Friday the 13th, or Nightmare on Elm St.
This is The Exorcist, for today's movie-goers. No jump scares, no serial killer, no slasher coming to get you.
They rely on good story telling, good directing, and good acting to portray tension and fear. I don't think there's a more straight-forward way to look at horror than that.
It's absolutely the best horror film to come around in quite some time.
Absolutely agree.
Which is why I was so excited. I'm literally looking at my own all time top 3-4 horror films, ever, and this is slotting in there somewhere.
My wife, a huge horror film buff, says it is her #1. I was shocked to hear that, she does not make proclamations like that. She thought Insidious was lame, she liked The possession, Emily Rose, but always was just meh about them.
Monday night she came out of that theatre entranced. We've been reading about it, discussing it since. She wants to go to the theatre again, get the Blu Ray, etc.
This is a true classic, and suddenly I have hope for future horror films..............and even more excitement for Fast 7.
Which is why I was so excited. I'm literally looking at my own all time top 3-4 horror films, ever, and this is slotting in there somewhere.
My wife, a huge horror film buff, says it is her #1. I was shocked to hear that, she does not make proclamations like that. She thought Insidious was lame, she liked The possession, Emily Rose, but always was just meh about them.
Monday night she came out of that theatre entranced. We've been reading about it, discussing it since. She wants to go to the theatre again, get the Blu Ray, etc.
This is a true classic, and suddenly I have hope for future horror films..............and even more excitement for Fast 7.
- Sep 10, 2011
- 27,788
- 12,457
I wish I had the heart for horror films
Bad experience when I was a kid.
Bad experience when I was a kid.
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lawdog1
Supporter
- Sep 14, 2000
- 60,158
- 72,650
Only 1 or 2 people said they liked it, that i can remember. Everyone else on here who's seen it said it was terrible.
- Nov 22, 2007
- 36,170
- 5,756
Shall be interesting.
- Jan 22, 2011
- 29,930
- 8,487
imdb has the most conveinent list making system that I've used.
I usually bookmark imdb pages, but it's hard to find a specific show or movie.
I highly reccomend for people to use imdb to manage their to-watch lists, watchlists, or any type of list.
Here's my to-watch lists so far. Reccomend me something based on what is on my to-watch lists.
movie to-watch list
http://www.imdb.com/list/7qwvUxDVTzc/
tv show to-watch list
http://www.imdb.com/list/xAmz1pzf6gA/
I usually bookmark imdb pages, but it's hard to find a specific show or movie.
I highly reccomend for people to use imdb to manage their to-watch lists, watchlists, or any type of list.
Here's my to-watch lists so far. Reccomend me something based on what is on my to-watch lists.
movie to-watch list
http://www.imdb.com/list/7qwvUxDVTzc/
tv show to-watch list
http://www.imdb.com/list/xAmz1pzf6gA/
- Apr 4, 2005
- 3,648
- 105
Just started Veronica Mars. I was skeptical going in, but it's legit.
- May 2, 2012
- 37,127
- 14,107
Just got through Only God Forgives.
Cinematography was cool (almost too much of the films focus), but overall I think easy pass.
Didn't enjoy it.
Cinematography was cool (almost too much of the films focus), but overall I think easy pass.
Didn't enjoy it.
