Box office roundup

[schild]

Too much pointless gore in hostel? I can't imagine.

[Johny Cee]

Too much pointless gore in hostel? I can't imagine.

It had a point in the first one:  illustrating how monstrous normal people can be.  Especially people who have been shown to have emotional/empathic sides.  It's hard to reconcile the middle-aged Euro who had the heartfelt talk with the college kid about homosexuality and the joy of raising his daughter with the madman when they meet again.

Too much of this gore is just retreading a theme from the first, and in a half-assed fashion for spectacle value without the related buildup.  That being said,  the story was interesting.

[croaker69]

http://imdb.com/title/tt0385752/trailers-screenplay-1-10-2

Sweet.  I really like the first book.  The other 2 not as much.

[HaemishM]

Also saw Hostel II. 

Why? For fuck's sake, WHY?

There was a bit too much pointless gore in it.

I thought that was the only reason people watched Hostel.

[Paelos]

Hostel is one of those things people watch to remind themselves they are desensitized.

It's still part of a culture I can never understand.

[schild]

Hostel is one of those things people watch to remind themselves they are desensitized.

It's still part of a culture I can never understand.

I watch it to remind myself that I'm NOT desensitized.

[Paelos]

Hostel is one of those things people watch to remind themselves they are desensitized.

It's still part of a culture I can never understand.

I watch it to remind myself that I'm NOT desensitized.

So you walk away offended and happy? Why even bother? You knew it going in.

[schild]

Hostel is one of those things people watch to remind themselves they are desensitized.

It's still part of a culture I can never understand.

I watch it to remind myself that I'm NOT desensitized.

So you walk away offended and happy? Why even bother? You knew it going in.

If I know something going in, I can't get offended.

Edit: For example, I was offended by Spiderman 3. I was not offended by Pirates 3.

[Paelos]

Well, then again who wasn't offended by Spiderman 3? Plebians, no doubt.

[schild]

Well, then again who wasn't offended by Spiderman 3? Plebians, no doubt.

America.

[Velorath]

Well, then again who wasn't offended by Spiderman 3?

People who thought the first two movies were enjoyable but flawed as well?

[tazelbain]

There is no excuse for Disco Peter. None.

[Velorath]

For reasons I won't go into here, the theater I work at only gets half the new releases (the other half going to the old theater in my town which hasn't been closed down for, again, reasons I won't go into).  So it was, that rather than watching Fantasic Four, I was stuck with the choice of test running Nancy Drew, or Dead or Alive.  Putting aside my inner desire to watch a 16 year old girl solve crimes, I decided to go with DOA.  Mind you it wasn't until I found out that I would be getting DOA this week that I even realized it was being released.  I watched a horrible trailer for it close to a year ago, back before it went through several delays and never saw any advertisments for it since.

The acting... was pretty fucking bad.  Pretty much expected.  The special effects in most of the fight scenes weren't any better.  "DOA" is plastered across the screen in some form or another every 5 minutes or so.  But people aren't going to see it for the the acting or even the fighting, they're going to see it for the women, and I'll admit, it was almost worth watching just for Devon Aoki in a bikini playing volleyball, and keep in mind I'm not even a Japanophile like many here.  She just looks that fucking good in this movie.  The problem with centering a movie around T&A in this day and age though is that you're competing with the Internet, and I can't for the life of me come up with a compelling reason for guys to go out and spend money to watch this movie when they could be looking at free Internet porn.  There's sort off a goofy bit of fun to this movie and a couple of the action scenes are actually ok, but movie prices being what they are I can only recommend renting it when it comes out on DVD or watching it on Cable, and only then if you're just looking for some cheesy entertainment for a good laugh.

[Merusk]

I'm more interested in hearing the story of the two theaters, really.

[Selby]

I'm more interested in hearing the story of the two theaters, really.

Me too.  I had a similar situation in the town I grew up in with the ancient theatres as well.

And I can't believe they made a Dead or Alive movie.  What were they thinking? 

[HaemishM]

And I can't believe they made a Dead or Alive movie.  What were they thinking? 

TITS.

[Riggswolfe]

And I can't believe they made a Dead or Alive movie.  What were they thinking? 

the movie is so blatantly going for hormonal teenage boys. And older perverts like me.

[Riggswolfe]

So, besides art faggy stuff, what is everyone looking forward to for the next few months?

My list:

Guilty Pleasures:
Transformers (my girlfriend geeked out because they kept the same sound effect during the transformation.)
Die Hard 4. Believe it or not I'm basing it solo on Bruce Willis' press for the movie. He's been really cool, even going to some message boards and having a second life chat to promote it. And I probably won't see it in the theaters unless my friends want to make it a group trip.
Evan Almighty- This looks better than the first one.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. Jessica Biel wet and in bra and panties is enough for me. I've also read advance reviews that say it is not really homophobic but more a satire of homophobia.

Somewhat more "arty" movies:
Stardust- Neil Gaiman wrote the book, Claire Danes as a fallen star??, Michelle Pheiffer as an evil witch?, DeNiro as a gay pirate? I'm there.
Fido- suburban 1950's America post Zombie Holocaust with Zombies as pets that sometimes eat the neighbors? Creepy old guy with Teenage Zombie mistress? Sounds good to me!

[Merusk]

Harry Potter will be the last movie I pay for at a theater this year.  I'm willing to wait for the DVD, but the wife insists we see it at the theater.   If it weren't for that, I'd already be done.

I just can't justify $30 in movie tickets plus $20 in snacks for one movie vs $10 for netflix and $5 for some popping corn to drop in the popper on a regular basis. 

[Rasix]

And I can't believe they made a Dead or Alive movie.  What were they thinking? 

It's getting better reviews than Fantastic Four.  Yikes.

[Morfiend]

And I can't believe they made a Dead or Alive movie.  What were they thinking? 

It's getting better reviews than Fantastic Four.  Yikes.

 

[Velorath]

I'm more interested in hearing the story of the two theaters, really.

Basically:

One theater (12 screens) is pretty old and on the outskirts of the city, near the marshlands.  The city decided it wanted to revitalize the downtown area a few years back, so they agreed to let a 20 screen theater be built, (with restaurants all around it) in the middle of the downtown area.  So about a year ago, the buildings are finished and the new theater gets opened, with plans to shut down the old theater in December.

Now the company that owns the two theaters, also owns the land the old theater is on.  When they tear down the old theater, they want to put up apartments.  The city is telling them, they can't do that, they don't want residential over there, and that they should put up car dealerships (which the city would make a lot of money off of due to sales tax).  So the old theater stays open.  Half the new movies go over to the old theather (the got Pirates 3, and are getting Fantastic Four, Transformers, Harry Potter, and the Simpsons among other things). 

Less people come to the new theater than what was expected when it was assumed that the old theater would close down.  The restaurant owners pretty much get the shaft because they were expecting a lot more people to be coming through, so (as the theater owners were hoping) they've been putting pressure on the city to cave into the theaters demands of putting up apartments on the land the old theater is on.  There are articles in the local paper on an almost weekly basis talking about what a fucked up situation this is (customers hate going to the old theater too because it's pretty rundown at this point.  The damn sound cut out for several minutes in all the auditoriums when I went there to see Pirates 3).

So, there you go.

So, besides art faggy stuff, what is everyone looking forward to for the next few months?

One of the nearby theaters got Daywatch in, so I want to go see that at some point.
1408 (next week)
Death at a Funeral
Maybe Black Sheep if it plays anywhere near me.
Joshua looks like some crazy Omen-style shit from the trailer I saw.
Rescue Dawn (maybe)
Sunshine
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
Simpsons
The Signal (my boss saw it at Sho West and said it was great)
War

All those are released between now and the end of August.

[Riggswolfe]

I totally forgot Harry Potter. Not that I have a choice. Out of all the HP movies this would be the one I'd skip simply because in the book I detested Dolores whatshername and had to struggle through any part of the book she was in. Which was alot unfortunately. I don't know why I reviled her so much. It wasn't even my dislike of villains it was more gut level than that. Like she was a bureucrat at the DMV telling me to get into the 5 hour line instead of her line because Item 1 on my form didn't have 2 capital letters in it.

[MrHat]

I just watched Fantastic Four with my brother since we didn't have anything to do this afternoon.

I wanted to make myself throw up the last hour and a half of memories.  Sweet Mother of Christ DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE.


I REPEAT:

DO NOT WATCH FANTASTIC FOUR FOR FEAR OF THE AFOREMENTIONED SEA OF BILE



edit:  That said, the preview for Harry Potter actually made me want to watch it. Also, The Golden Compass looked fantastic.

[Margalis]

I hate that most modern "horror" movies are just gore-fests. I don't mind gore but I don't like it when the whole point of a movie is kewl death scenes.

[Abagadro]

Rescue Dawn

Hertzog + Bale = 

[Velorath]

Also just heard about The Dark Is Rising.  Can't say I've ever read the book, nor are there any trailers available yet, but it has Ian McShane and Christopher Eccleston in it, so it's got my attention so far.

[schild]

Day Watch was AMAZING.

AMAZING.

And I didn't even really like Night Watch.

[Ozzu]

I am most definitely looking forward to Rescue Dawn. The early reviews are extremely positive. Plus it's Christian Bale, who up until Batman came out, kept flying under the radar. I've yet to see a movie he was in that he wasn't great in.

[Engels]

Day Watch was AMAZING.

AMAZING.

And I didn't even really like Night Watch.

Where did you catch that? Its not in theaters here in Seattle (yet?).

[Koyasha]

And I can't believe they made a Dead or Alive movie.  What were they thinking? 

Could have been a good movie.  The characters have pretty good backstories from what I know about them, but there's not a lot of details and a movie - or in my opinion, more ideally, a CGI or anime movie - would be a great place to go further on that.  Unfortunately as far as I can tell, the writers and director aren't all that good, and it came out pretty poor.

And as far as tits...shit, if that's the point of the movie, I'd rather play the games for it.

[Selby]

Unfortunately as far as I can tell, the writers and director aren't all that good, and it came out pretty poor.

Without even reading a review I could tell this is exactly how it was going to wind up.  Shit writing, shit acting, shit directing, and b00bz.

And as far as tits...shit, if that's the point of the movie, I'd rather play the games for it.

I have never understood the logic of just making movies where b00bs jiggle.  I mean shit they have fucking pr0n for that!  I'm not going to go to some theatre in town and get all excited over watching some chicks dance around in a fucking bikini or beat each other up.  That's just sad.

[schild]

Day Watch was AMAZING.

AMAZING.

And I didn't even really like Night Watch.

Where did you catch that? Its not in theaters here in Seattle (yet?).

One art house theater in Phoenix Arizona was playing it. They're also going to get Paprika on July 13th ^_^.

[Oban]

Paprika looks so amazing.


http://youtube.com/watch?v=NclRSeV4pBA

[Teleku]

Ah PAPRIKA.  I saw a whole giant stack of DVD's of this when I was in Yodobashi Umeda a few weeks ago, and they were playing a trailer for it on a nearby TV.  It looked really amazing, but they spelled the title in Katakana.  I spent a good 10 minutes trying to figure out what fucking word they were trying to say (you write in Katakana in Japanese if the word is a non Japanese word, for those of you who dont know).  Paprika is just such an odd name I guess I never thought of that when trying to decipher it, heh.  Need to watch that.