What are you watching lately?

[Lobo]

Lately I've watched:

The Killer
Ichi The Killer
and
Samurai Fiction

[Drewbacca]

Can you convince one of my friends for me?
Nevermind, he pre-judges almost every movie/show, so I think he's a lost cause.

I think one of the coolest things about Buffy and Angel is that there's tons of foreshadowing in the early seasons of what's going to happen beforehand. One example of this, and this is the bluntest version, is when Willow asks Riley if he's going to cast the still beating heart from his lover when things get rough and skip town. Riley goes: "Yep, pretty much the plan."

They were joking aroud but that's one.

I like Angel season 2 and 4 better than any of the Buffy seasons. But that preacher guy in season 7 of Buffy (forget his name) was AWESOME. He snapped the guardians neck from behind while buffy was talking to her and then said something like:

"Did she just say something about an apocalypse? I couldn't quite hear over the snapping neck."

That's cool.

[Ichabod]

Seen a few good movies recently (not necessarily in this order)...

Takeshi Kitano's newest movie Zatoichi was as good as I expected and better. Awesome soundtrack, awesome killings. I have to stress how much I loved the music in this movie, it was really well put together and a welcome break from Joe Hisaishi scoring every Kitano movie. Not that this is your typical Kitano movie. There are long stationary shots and other such trademarks, but also stuff like explicit gore and a musical ending. Really cool movie.

Watched the movies Uptown Saturday Night and Let's Do It Again, both starring Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier, with Poitier directing. Awesome comedies, the first better than the second (though I loved the music in the second). If you like either of these men, see these movies. It's worth it just for the part where the black Godfather guy is dressed like a woman and Sidney Poitier is on top of his escape car hitting the windows with a hammer.

The movie that hit me the deepest recently has to be Last Life In The Universe. From Thai director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, starring Asano Tadanobu, and with cinematography by Christopher Doyle, I already knew to expect awesomenes before it started. Tadanobu is Kenji, a Japanese man living in Bangkok who is obsessed with death, particularly his own. This movie is an extremely subtle and beautiful character portrait with some of the best and most surreal looking beaches and other scenes I've ever seen. It's a love story too, and an effective one at that. But don't think that this movie is lacking in the crazy shit department, it's not. Attempted suicides, surreal moments, drug use, Takashi Miike as a killer yakuza, Riki Takeuchi as another killer yakuza, dead bodies (of course you knew that was coming after those last two). Very nice soundtrack also, especially the song during the end credits.

I couldn't help but be moved by the emotions in the movie, such as Kenji's thoughts about death and life or the relationship between him and the female lead Noi. Noi is played by Thai actress Sinitta Boonyasak, who I must say is very nice looking and likable. Overall the best thing I can say about the movie is that I absolutely felt like I connected with and related to the characters, which isn't something I can say about many movies. I am definitely seeking out Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's other movies, this one was a minor masterpiece to me. His movie 6ixtynin9 is the easiest to find but I'm looking for Monrak Transistor, which sounds the most appealing based on IMDB.com plot synopsis.

And finally, I watched the movie With Honors starring Joe Pesci as a wise homeless man and Brendan Fraser as a clean-cut Harvard student whose life intersects with the bum when he loses his thesis down a grate and the bum recovers it. Fraser tries to get it back, the bum holds it hostage, they become friends, Fraser learns stuff. There's the whole plot in a nutshell, save for the end. I was pretty turned off by this movie at first (thanks to the music and a couple other things), but I eventually found the bum to be likable and the movies intentions to be pretty serious. I will admit that I was misty-eyed by the end, but then again I was in the mood to watch that kind of movie. I don't know if I'd want to see it again, though.

Movies I want to see: Secret Window, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, Dawn Of The Dead, maybe Hidalgo.

[Salsashark]

Hey Ichabod, it's always nice to see you pop up.

I agree about Zatoichi and LLitU. Zatoichi was definitely the most "crowd-pleasing" Kitano movie I've seen, but not in a bad way at all. Really awesome and entertaining, and surprisingly I don't think Hisaishi could have supplied it with a better score even.

I really love Last Life in the Universe too, and you touched on most of the reasons. I was sort of thinking that kind of all around line up was too good to be true, as happens often, but it was even better than I had hoped. Takashi Miike was really hilarious I thought too, knowing who he is. It was a nice in-joke that wouldn't interrupt the movie for anyone unknowing. But yeah, the acting, music, pacing, and not surprisingly the cinematography were all "pitch perfect", as critics say (I think).

Most lately I watched Donnie Brasco and Hedwig and the Angry Inch on TV, which are things that might peak my interest on TV but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to see. I was surprised by both of them though.

Donnie Brasco had some really great acting by Johnny Depp and Al Pacino, maybe their best that I've seen. Really sad movie too.

Hedwig was one I thought was going to be a hipster Rocky Horror rip off, which I guess it sort of is heh. But it was good too, and the songs were awesome mostly. The movie was good too, but I got the impression that it was sticking a bit too closely to the original play for my tastes.

I also just watched A Snake in June and Gemini, both by Shinya Tsukamoto. I really love Tetsuo, but after watching Tetsuo II and Tokyo Fist together a while ago I ignorantly thought I had the guy pegged and wasn't hugely interested in seeing his other stuff for awhile.

I was really wrong though, because I really loved both of the movies. A Snake in June is really great, and probably his most all-around solid movie so far. It's a really beautiful, weird movie. Some of the imagery in it is really great.

Gemini was good too, but I thought the first third of it was better than the rest, when everything was still more mysterious (but I guess thats the case with most movies anyway). Again, it feels like a progression from his earlier movies and a good example of how good of a director he is. Really scary music too.

I also watched The Bedroom, which is a Japanese Pink Film, so essentially it's soft core porn. But it's about a club where women prositute themselves, but they go to "The Sleeping Room" and take a sleeping pill so men can do whatever they want with them. The whole thing is run by a guy with a surgeons mask, and there are lots of sort of half-assed plot twists, and lots of camera paranoia. There are still some cool shots in it though, and a really creepy atmosphere. Still though, largely soft core pornography, but artsy and with possibly other merits as well depending on where you stand on that kind of thing heh.

Anyway, that's all I've got for now

[Jeremy]

I've been watching Futurama Volumes 1 and 3 as of late, with some Simpsons and WWE PPVs, along with some Lupin the Third thrown in for good measure.

[NoboruWataya]

The Killer

Man, that is an awesome movie. Fucking awesome as a matter of fact.

I've been watching alot of Hitchcock lately:

Vertigo, North By Northwest, Strangers on a Train and Notorious

I reccomend each of these movies if you havent seen them, with emphasis on NbNW which kicks all sorts of wookie ass. Equal emphasis on Notorius which is full of amazing camera work and Ingrid Bergman who is sexy as all hell.

Shit, Strangers on a Train is bad ass.

Vertigo is bad ass.

Casablanca

I got this to watch with my girlfriend and liked it every bit as much as I remember. The charecter interaction in this film is simply astounding. As always Bogart is the man.

Treasure of the Sierra Madre

I had a friend on AIM once quote this (wrongly) with "Badges, we don't need no stinkin' badges", and then belittle me when the referance went over my head. I deserved it, everyone should see this movie. As in Casablanca the charecter interactions drive the film, but this time you only have three people to worry about. As always Bogart is the man.

Mean Streets

I love Scorsese and have always felt guilty about never seing this movie. It did'nt grip me the whole was through like his other films, but Denero's and Kitel's acting throughout really kept me into it. The ending is tight as hell and the story wraps up in about five mins. Quite good, though not at Taxi Driver levels.

There have baan more: The Maltiste Falcon, School of Rock, This is Spinal Tap, Hard Days Night, Fear an Loathing....All in the past few weeks.

Edit: almost forgot Some like it Hot

[Klonoa]

Watched Family Guy seasons 1 and 2, for 40 bucks, it was damn worth it.

Saw Zatoichi with Takeshi Kitano, awesome awesome awesome.

[Timber]

Started watching Outlaw Star last week, I'm only a couple of eps in but I'm diggin it so far.

Watched Payback for the 30th time earlier in the week. It's still fantastic and easily Gibson's best movie.

Watching season 2 of Angel (as I type actually), the first season is my fav but this one is right up there with it.

[Sqoon]

This past week, I've seen To Live and Die in L.A., Dawn of the Dead, and Ed Wood.

Pull the string!!!

[Green]

Pull the strinct! Heh.
Uh, since I've posted here I plan on renting Returner, Velvet Goldmine, In the Mouth of Madness. Hellboy is out next week!