JohnT's random thoughts about the movies thread...

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Jon Miller
it is funny how eveywhere there are Blockbusters and Hollywood Vidoes but all I want is the small town video stores like in my home town

Welcome to strip mall America. Individuals need not apply.

[Kidlicious]

I saw Secret Window tonite. I like the line, "I won't quit until right is made right."

[Agathon]

Top films this year....

Hmmm..... that's hard. I liked Fahrenheit 911 for political reasons. Same for The Corporation.

Other than that, all the other films I've seen this year sucked. If there were any that didn't suck, they are so unmemorable that they must have sucked.

Return of the King was the last good film I saw.

I just went to BoxOfficeMojo and looked at the list of the 150 biggest grossing movies of 2004. Apart from a few documentaries I have seen, not one film I have seen out of the 150 I would class as anything other than ****e.

What a depressing year for film. Hopefully Alexander will be good, but after the abortion that was Troy I'm not betting on it.

[Locutus]

On the original topics:

1. I don't really care on what medium a movie comes (DVD, VHS, DivX), I watch them all. It's about the movie, not the medium. Some of the best movies I saw recently happened to be on VHS (e.g. just last week I saw Cidade de Deus for the first time )

2. I strongly detest full-screen, though if I really want to see a movie I'll accept it. But whoever invented that horrible format should be taken out and shot


As for best movies of 2004, these are the movies I remember seeing in the cinema this year (some may be 2003 movies but were either released later in the Netherlands or I only saw them in 2004):

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Shrek 2
Kill Bill Vol. 2
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Last Samurai
King Arthur
Spiderman 2
Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World
Haunted Mansion
Underworld
Paycheck
Ladykillers
Hidalgo
Starsky & Hutch
Shouf Shouf Habibi! (Morrocan/Dutch movie)
Love Actually (though I probably saw this one in late 2003, not quite sure)
Troy
Finding Nemo
Scary Movie 3
Van Helsing
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The Passion of the Christ



Not entirely surprisinlgy, I pretty much liked all of these movies (though Van Helsing was rather mediocre, but then again, I hadn't expected more) -- I'm pretty good at figuring out what's worth watching and what isn't beforehand. The only exception here is The Passion of the Christ, which is quite possibly The Worst Movie Ever. In fact, giving that one the title 'movie' is giving it too much credit IMNSHO. Then again, I knew that before I went there (I only went there to do someone else a favour who didn't want to go there alone but couldn't find anyone who wanted to go -- afterwards she understood why )

I'm very much looking forward to seeing Fahrenheit 9/11 next week, and in the long run Shark Tale and The Bourne Supremacy.

Edit: typos

[Agathon]

Master and Commander was a good film, as was Return of the King. But they came out last year.

[Locutus]

Like I said, they were released later in the Netherlands, and I can't be arsed figuring out when all those movies were released in the US...

[gjramsey]

To the questions asked.

1) Don't even have a VHS machine anymore, so that is an easy no.

2) Has to be in widescreen. Even with a 4:3 tv, I would watch in widescreen with the bars at top and bottom.

3) Netflix is great. I have been using them for about 4 years now.

[Sprayber]

I have a question for everyone. What movie have they rented that they wished they had taken the time to see at the theaters?

A lot of people are putting down Kill Bill Vol 2. This was a surprise movie for me. I didn't think id like it but before Vol 2 came out I rented Vol 1 and was blown away and kicked myself for not seeing it at a theater which made me immeditaly go see Vol 2,

1) I rented barbershop on VHS awhile back. I have a DVD/VHS combo but I'm so addicted to special features that it's not even funny. A girl friend of mine says special features is a guy thing but I love them especially the ones for tv shows they put on DVD and extended verisons like LOTRs

2) I like widescreen better but sometimes I will get the fit to screen stuff if I cant find it any other way

3) Groundhog day is a great movie but it's a guy movie that chicks like.

4) Forgive my ignorance but what is netfilx?

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by gjramsey
To the questions asked.

1) Don't even have a VHS machine anymore, so that is an easy no.

2) Has to be in widescreen. Even with a 4:3 tv, I would watch in widescreen with the bars at top and bottom.

3) Netflix is great. I have been using them for about 4 years now.

ARe you from Arkansas?

[JohnT]

Spray: www.netflix.com

$20.00 a month, unlimited movie rentals (though you're limited to 3 at a time), no late fees.

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by JohnT
Spray: www.netflix.com

$20.00 a month, unlimited movie rentals (though you're limited to 3 at a time), no late fees.

Outstanding

[JohnT]

Oh, I forgot: Free shipping.

http://www.netflix.com/LearnMore?hnjr=2

And it's actually $21.95/month. Expect this to increase.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Jon Miller
it is funny how eveywhere there are Blockbusters and Hollywood Vidoes but all I want is the small town video stores like in my home town

It's not like a restaraunt, where you can claim greater quality food - it's a movie rental, for god's sake! What's the difference.

they had a greater selection, although you could not be sure that a just released movie was in (more different videos, less copies)

Really?

and it was $2 for a new movie, and $1 for an older one, instead of this 4.50 ****

inflation

[Sava]

1. I don't rent VHS anymore unless there is a movie I really want to see that I can't find on DVD.

2. I agree. Widescreen is the way to go. Full Screen is for heathens!

3. I don't use Netflix, but Blockbuster has a deal now where you spend $14.99 a month, and you get unlimited rentals. Now that I have a DVD Burner, I shall be renting a lot more movies.

[Sava]

btw, good thread...