Quick Takes 2: The Sequel!

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Re: Quick Takes 2: The Sequel!

Post by Mad Lensman »

Aliens in the attic

I enjoyed this. having said that, it's a great fun riot if, and I mean if, you can totally disconnect your brain and just enjoy a couple hours of genuinely slapstick moments, loosely tied together with plot - kung-fu grandma was a superbly nice touch which needed to be rewound a couple times - and the boyfriend (this from someone who's fifteen year old daughter has just started dating) should have been put against a wall and shot in the groin, repeatedly, with a .44 magnum. The CGi effects weren't too bad I thought, the aliens whilst on the whole annoying and generally stereotypical were nicely animated and fitted in fairly well, the plot (such as it was) was routine little green men stuff, and reminded me fondly of an old movie I once watched called "Spaced Invaders" which had almost the exact same plot and even some of th esame characters, lame cop, dopey cousins et al.

Overall? I'd give it an 8 out of 10, just for sheer entertainment! :D
Dr. Allison Reed: It's over, it's over. You did great! Do you need anything? Can we get you anything?
Harry Block: Ice cream... I'd like an ice cream please.
Dr. Allison Reed: Okay, what flavor?
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Re: Quick Takes 2: The Sequel!

Post by b-guy »

I'm guessing the network of metal tubes and structures running throughout the ice-pack had something to do with the ice sinking. Or, Cobra thought far enough ahead that they weighted the ice, since that was their last-ditch plan to keep their base from being taken.
Somebody spank BorgCrazy...the little bugger's been playing int he techno-babble again! ;)

And yeah, I probably would have enjoyed GI Joe more if I hadn't just spent the previous 10 weeks training with the army.
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Re: Quick Takes 2: The Sequel!

Post by borgcrazy »

b-guy wrote:Somebody spank BorgCrazy...the little bugger's been playing int he techno-babble again! ;)
Oh yes, I have been naughty... *wink*
And yeah, I probably would have enjoyed GI Joe more if I hadn't just spent the previous 10 weeks training with the army.
Well, there is that...
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Re: Quick Takes 2: The Sequel!

Post by Meneks »

District 9

Okay...now that I've managed to reactivate my account and redo my profile...

Today I went to see "District 9". Definitely a must-see, in my opinion. Unlike many of the sci-fi movies (and others, as well) this summer, it is has a plot /and/ action /and/ makes you stop and think. Of course, I believe it was ultimately an independent film, not some over-hyped 'let's see how many spin-offs and t-shirts and McDonalds happy meals we can sell' production. Therefore, quality should be expected. And Peter Jackson was involved, one of my favorite peoples. This film makes me so happy the Halo thing never worked out....

Anyway, I found District 9 to be a very good movie. I'll wait for a bit for other people to have reactions before I allow any spoilers to cross my fingertips. Probably one of the technical aspects of the film which made it excellent, other than the very nice CGI effects (and NOT overdone) was the intermixed use of pseudo-documentaries/newcast footage, combined with more traditional camera work.
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Re: Quick Takes 2: The Sequel!

Post by borgcrazy »

Meneks wrote:This film makes me so happy the Halo thing never worked out....
I want to SO not like you for that (since I'm still in mourning of that fact) but I'll set that aside because District 9 does look amazing.
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Re: Quick Takes 2: The Sequel!

Post by b-guy »

I drove an hour to Brandon to see District 9, party from the Queen's glowing review, but mostly because I needed to get out off the farm for a day.

Anyway, I agree. Very good movie. The effects were extreamly well done, and there was an interesting and fairly unique plot. It left enough questions to keep you thinking, and there were a lot of subtle points that added to the story.

The only thing I'm not satisfied with is the substance that causes the main character's issue. Without wanting to give too much away, I don't understand how it could have the effect it had on him, given what the stuff was used for. Just seems too far-fetched.
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Re: Quick Takes 2: The Sequel!

Post by cmdrajd »

Repo: The Genetic Opera

Um...

what...

the HELL...

was THAT?!?!

I really don't know where to begin with this one. I rented Repo because Anthony Stewart Head, who played Rupert Giles on "Buffy The Vampire Slayer," was the lead in it. The rest of the cast should have given me a clue that I was in for something strange. Paul Sorvino (okay), Alexa Vega (from the Spy Kids movies. Well, she had to grow up sometime), Sarah Brightman (the original Christine Daae in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera"), some guy named Ogre (oooookay), and...Paris Hilton? The movie itself is a sci-fi/horror/musical about a semi-near future world where people's organs fail on a regular basis due to some plague that has swept the planet. A company called Geneco has come up with a way to create new ones for a price. And, if you fall behind on your payments, they sent out their repoman to get them back. Your survival after the reposession is...well...pretty much not happening.

For this movie, though, I'm not sure that the plot is that important. Calling it good or bad is irrelevant. For me it was more the experience and wondering how the hell the thing got financed and made in the first place. It's just so damn odd. The music is...okay. Some songs are better than others, but, as it is as the title states, an opera, you won't find many show-stopping numbers like you get in a traditional musical. Anthony Stewart Head can sing. Anyone who saw the musical episode of Buffy, "Once More With Feeling," can attest to that. His costars vary in quality. Alexa Vega's voice is okay, Sarah Brightman is a pro, and even Paris Hilton holds her own. The real surprise for me was Paul Sorvino. I didn't realize he had a background in musicals, and it definitely shows. On the other hand, I was also wondering what the hell he was doing in this movie.

I'm not going to recommend Repo. Or not recommend it for that matter. There's blood, there's gore, there are a few cool effects (I liked how the wall portraits were handled), and there's singing. A lot of singing. If you're in the mood for something different one night, you could give it a try. Just don't come screaming to me if you hate it.
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Re: Quick Takes 2: The Sequel!

Post by borgcrazy »

Newsboys: Down Under The Big-Top
Speaking of different...
Okay, so honestly, I only bought this on Amazon because it stars my favorite Christian rock group, the Newsboys and it's extremely rare and hard to find. Beyond that, I had absolutely no idea what to expect.
The basic story is, one of the Newsboys has an uncle who runs a failing circus. Said uncle passes away and leaves his nephew ownership of the circus. The 'Boys band together (get it? "Band" together? I'm sorry ... and I also apologize) to try and save the circus. In one week...
The basic story is loosely based on their song "Reality", and for being a low-budget, obviously geurrilla-filmed movie, is surprisingly well-done and genuinely funny. The acting is decent, the editing is good, the music (pulled mostly from the "Take Me To Your Leader" album) is used appropriately (though I had to force myself to stop singing and pay attention to the movie when the music ended unexpectedly...) and the Christian message wasn't overdone or preachy. In fact, except for two scenes, where one character is given a Gideons pocket Bible and another where he talks about having read it, there isn't really ANY preaching. The band's faith comes through their actions and is very subtly handled, which is nice.
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Re: Quick Takes 2: The Sequel!

Post by Mad Lensman »

cmdrajd wrote:Repo: The Genetic Opera
And the title didn't give that away as a bad egg at all did it? uh uh, nada, no chance..... :lol: :lol:
Dr. Allison Reed: It's over, it's over. You did great! Do you need anything? Can we get you anything?
Harry Block: Ice cream... I'd like an ice cream please.
Dr. Allison Reed: Okay, what flavor?
Harry Block: It doesn't matter. It's for my ass.
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Re: Quick Takes 2: The Sequel!

Post by cmdrajd »

I had to give it a chance.

Besides, the greatness of "Buffy" taught me about judging quality based on the title. Then again there are some where the title says it all.
"I'm not insane -- my mother had me tested." - Sheldon Cooper, "The Big Bang Theory"
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