Movies You Might Enjoy

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Generation Kill is a 2008 American miniseries from HBO. Based on a book with the same name by Rolling Stones reporter Evan Wright, it chronicles the Marines 1st Reconnaissance Battalion during the 2003 Iraq invasion.

There are war movies that take a lyrical approach in its story telling. Apocalypse Now is one such example (and the original theatrical version, IMO, works beautifully).

Generation Kill takes the opposite path. It feels closer to a documentary, stripped of elegant cinematography or makes-you-want-to-get-up-and-dance music.

This sparse method, which IMO is perfectly suited for the landscape, helps magnify the drudgery, terror, euphoria, and frustration the soldiers in the 1st experienced.

Some people think this series portrays the soldiers as neither heroes nor villains.

I believe that’s a cop out.

There’s the soldier who’s more interested in hoarding batteries for his video camera when his comrades need them for night vision glasses. There’s the officers who appear more interested in souvenirs, medals, and promotions than they are in their men’s welfare. There’s the sergeant (True Blood fans will recognize him) who aspires to balance professionalism and humanity. And there are the soldiers who show little remorse in the accidental deaths of Iraqi civilians.

I know several men who were in Iraq. Although they didn’t specifically serve in the USMC 1st Recon, they were infantry. The consensus among them is just how authentic this feels.

And the previously mentioned lack of apparent artistry makes this series, in a zen-like way, highly artistic.

IMDb rating: 8.8/10

Rotten Tomatoes rating: not available

MinotaurXXX rating: 4.75 minotaurs out of 5

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I LOVE Generation Kill.

You ever see The Corner?

63

[quote]MinotaurXXX wrote:
This past weekend, Le Tour de France, the world’s most famous bicycle race, began.

Most people on this site couldn’t care less about watching skeletal men in spandex riding bikes that cost more than some cars. But it did remind me of a movie I highly recommend.

Breaking Away is a 1979 American film about four childhood friends, recently graduated from high school, who are at a crossroads in their lives. They grew up and reside in an Indiana college town, where the snobby university students refer to them and others like them as cutters, a derogatory term referencing the nearby limestone quarries and blue collar background. The most poignant theme, IMO, is less about class struggle and more about the importance of knowing when to give up one dream so you can liberate yourself to pursue another.

And like all great sports movies, you don’t have to be a fan of the sport itself to enjoy it.

People I’ve met who’ve been around in the late 70’s and early 80’s often remember this movie because it deservedly received both box-office and critical success upon initial release. Not all great movies are so lucky.

Highly recommended as a date movie. Unlike other articles and reviews out there, I don’t want to give away any more of the story line because I think that ruins the discovery process.

IMDb rating: 7.8/10

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 94%

MinotaurXXX rating: 4.75 out of 5 minotaurs[/quote]

This is an Indiana University classic. My alma mater. Go Hoosiers! Little 500 is one of the best college weekends in the country. It’s surrounding a bike race and there is still a team representing the cutters named after the limestone cutters that mine the quarries surrounding Bloomington.

64

[quote]Yogi wrote:
I LOVE Generation Kill.

You ever see The Corner?[/quote]

I haven’t. Do you recommend it?

65

If “The Hidden” is the one with Kyle Mcloughlin and the little ray guns, do it. Fucking loved that flick as a kid.

The Fabulous Baker Boys reminded me of another forgotten Jeff Bridges flick, The Fisher King. Definitely not light watching, but damn good.

Also, watched the new RoboCop last night. The only expectation I had is that it’d suck, and it turned awesome. Well written, well acted and a unique take on the story. This movie catches a ton of unnecessary shit. Thought it was badass.

66

[quote]AliveAgain36 wrote:

[quote]MinotaurXXX wrote:
This past weekend, Le Tour de France, the world’s most famous bicycle race, began.

Most people on this site couldn’t care less about watching skeletal men in spandex riding bikes that cost more than some cars. But it did remind me of a movie I highly recommend.

Breaking Away is a 1979 American film about four childhood friends, recently graduated from high school, who are at a crossroads in their lives. They grew up and reside in an Indiana college town, where the snobby university students refer to them and others like them as cutters, a derogatory term referencing the nearby limestone quarries and blue collar background. The most poignant theme, IMO, is less about class struggle and more about the importance of knowing when to give up one dream so you can liberate yourself to pursue another.

And like all great sports movies, you don’t have to be a fan of the sport itself to enjoy it.

People I’ve met who’ve been around in the late 70’s and early 80’s often remember this movie because it deservedly received both box-office and critical success upon initial release. Not all great movies are so lucky.

Highly recommended as a date movie. Unlike other articles and reviews out there, I don’t want to give away any more of the story line because I think that ruins the discovery process.

IMDb rating: 7.8/10

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 94%

MinotaurXXX rating: 4.75 out of 5 minotaurs[/quote]

This is an Indiana University classic. My alma mater. Go Hoosiers! Little 500 is one of the best college weekends in the country. It’s surrounding a bike race and there is still a team representing the cutters named after the limestone cutters that mine the quarries surrounding Bloomington.
[/quote]

Yeah, a while back Outside magazine did a good article on the Little 500. Amazing how competitive the teams are on that day. Some riders train all year for that race. It’s their Superbowl, World Series, and nba championships all rolled into one.

The scene with the lead character and his father walking through campus as the father recalls his days as a cutter…is a masterpiece.

67

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
If “The Hidden” is the one with Kyle Mcloughlin and the little ray guns, do it. Fucking loved that flick as a kid.

The Fabulous Baker Boys reminded me of another forgotten Jeff Bridges flick, The Fisher King. Definitely not light watching, but damn good.

Also, watched the new RoboCop last night. The only expectation I had is that it’d suck, and it turned awesome. Well written, well acted and a unique take on the story. This movie catches a ton of unnecessary shit. Thought it was badass.[/quote]

I haven’t seen The Hidden. Will keep an eye for it. Same with Fisher King.

I was wondering how the new RoboCop is. Back in my undergrad days, a literature professor talked about how certain books get adoration or venom from heavyweight critics and everyone else follows. I’ve noticed similar phenomenon with movie critics. That’s why I always reserve judgment until I see the movie myself.

Thanks for the input.

68

[quote]MinotaurXXX wrote:

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
If “The Hidden” is the one with Kyle Mcloughlin and the little ray guns, do it. Fucking loved that flick as a kid.

The Fabulous Baker Boys reminded me of another forgotten Jeff Bridges flick, The Fisher King. Definitely not light watching, but damn good.

Also, watched the new RoboCop last night. The only expectation I had is that it’d suck, and it turned awesome. Well written, well acted and a unique take on the story. This movie catches a ton of unnecessary shit. Thought it was badass.[/quote]

I haven’t seen The Hidden. Will keep an eye for it. Same with Fisher King.

I was wondering how the new RoboCop is. Back in my undergrad days, a literature professor talked about how certain books get adoration or venom from heavyweight critics and everyone else follows. I’ve noticed similar phenomenon with movie critics. That’s why I always reserve judgment until I see the movie myself.

Thanks for the input.

[/quote]

Man, the majority of gripes I’ve seen are “it’s PG13!” and “his suit is black!” Which, while retarded, were pretty much why I was reluctant to see it. The original honestly didn’t need a remake, but they did this about as well as it could’ve been done.

69


I know this thread was more or less directed towards movies/shows you could stream. I bought this used for pretty cheap. I thought it was worth mentioning because the crowd here seems generally receptive to foreign films. Its about a Russian spy who betrays Moscow for ideological reasons. Apparently it was one of the most important intelligence developments in the cold war.

Interesting acting/cast. My only gripe is that I really didn’t like the guy who played Ronald Reagan for some reason lol. It was like they just tried to make him a cowboy. Be forewarned this movie is almost all in French or Russian, with subtitles of course. Great for those who like spy movies.

70

[quote]MinotaurXXX wrote:

[quote]Yogi wrote:
I LOVE Generation Kill.

You ever see The Corner?[/quote]

I haven’t. Do you recommend it?[/quote]

highly. It’s by the same dudes and you can see how The Wire evolved out of it.

71

[quote]Mitchnasty wrote:
I know this thread was more or less directed towards movies/shows you could stream. I bought this used for pretty cheap. I thought it was worth mentioning because the crowd here seems generally receptive to foreign films. Its about a Russian spy who betrays Moscow for ideological reasons. Apparently it was one of the most important intelligence developments in the cold war.

Interesting acting/cast. My only gripe is that I really didn’t like the guy who played Ronald Reagan for some reason lol. It was like they just tried to make him a cowboy. Be forewarned this movie is almost all in French or Russian, with subtitles of course. Great for those who like spy movies.[/quote]

Movies people can stream or rent. I’ll add this one to my list. Thanks!

72

[quote]Yogi wrote:

[quote]MinotaurXXX wrote:

[quote]Yogi wrote:
I LOVE Generation Kill.

You ever see The Corner?[/quote]

I haven’t. Do you recommend it?[/quote]

highly. It’s by the same dudes and you can see how The Wire evolved out of it.[/quote]

Thanks very much.

73

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:

[quote]MinotaurXXX wrote:

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
If “The Hidden” is the one with Kyle Mcloughlin and the little ray guns, do it. Fucking loved that flick as a kid.

The Fabulous Baker Boys reminded me of another forgotten Jeff Bridges flick, The Fisher King. Definitely not light watching, but damn good.

Also, watched the new RoboCop last night. The only expectation I had is that it’d suck, and it turned awesome. Well written, well acted and a unique take on the story. This movie catches a ton of unnecessary shit. Thought it was badass.[/quote]

I haven’t seen The Hidden. Will keep an eye for it. Same with Fisher King.

I was wondering how the new RoboCop is. Back in my undergrad days, a literature professor talked about how certain books get adoration or venom from heavyweight critics and everyone else follows. I’ve noticed similar phenomenon with movie critics. That’s why I always reserve judgment until I see the movie myself.

Thanks for the input.

[/quote]

Man, the majority of gripes I’ve seen are “it’s PG13!” and “his suit is black!” Which, while retarded, were pretty much why I was reluctant to see it. The original honestly didn’t need a remake, but they did this about as well as it could’ve been done. [/quote]

Maybe they kept it PG-13 to bring in the under age male demographic. And others got chaffed because they equate R or NC-17 to the only thing worth their time.

I’ve seen enough good to excellent movies rated PG-13 to so it doesn’t matter to me.

It makes sense the suit is black. How is a cop supposed to go into stealth mode in a chrome outfit?

I’m going to see it, definitely. Thanks for the heads up. Plus any excuse to watch Abbie Cornish is fine by me.

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900×1350 229 KB

a great foreign language film. worth all the subtitles. Guillermo del Toro directs.
piece of Roger Eberts review of Pan’s Labyrinth

“Pan’s Labyrinth” is one of the greatest of all fantasy films, even though it is anchored so firmly in the reality of war. On first viewing, it is challenging to comprehend a movie that on the one hand provides fauns and fairies, and on the other hand creates an inhuman sadist in the uniform of Franco’s fascists. The fauns and fantasies are seen only by the 11-year-old heroine, but that does not mean she’s “only dreaming;” they are as real as the fascist captain who murders on the flimsiest excuse. The coexistence of these two worlds is one of the scariest elements of the film; they both impose sets of rules that can get an 11-year-old killed.

75

[quote]silverblood wrote:
a great foreign language film. worth all the subtitles. Guillermo del Toro directs.
piece of Roger Eberts review of Pan’s Labyrinth

“Pan’s Labyrinth” is one of the greatest of all fantasy films, even though it is anchored so firmly in the reality of war. On first viewing, it is challenging to comprehend a movie that on the one hand provides fauns and fairies, and on the other hand creates an inhuman sadist in the uniform of Franco’s fascists. The fauns and fantasies are seen only by the 11-year-old heroine, but that does not mean she’s “only dreaming;” they are as real as the fascist captain who murders on the flimsiest excuse. The coexistence of these two worlds is one of the scariest elements of the film; they both impose sets of rules that can get an 11-year-old killed.[/quote]

I’ve been meaning to check this out for a while. Looks good

76

[quote]silverblood wrote:
a great foreign language film. worth all the subtitles. Guillermo del Toro directs.
piece of Roger Eberts review of Pan’s Labyrinth

“Pan’s Labyrinth” is one of the greatest of all fantasy films, even though it is anchored so firmly in the reality of war. On first viewing, it is challenging to comprehend a movie that on the one hand provides fauns and fairies, and on the other hand creates an inhuman sadist in the uniform of Franco’s fascists. The fauns and fantasies are seen only by the 11-year-old heroine, but that does not mean she’s “only dreaming;” they are as real as the fascist captain who murders on the flimsiest excuse. The coexistence of these two worlds is one of the scariest elements of the film; they both impose sets of rules that can get an 11-year-old killed.[/quote]

One of my favorite movies of all time!

77

[quote]Mitchnasty wrote:

[quote]silverblood wrote:
a great foreign language film. worth all the subtitles. Guillermo del Toro directs.
piece of Roger Eberts review of Pan’s Labyrinth

“Pan’s Labyrinth” is one of the greatest of all fantasy films, even though it is anchored so firmly in the reality of war. On first viewing, it is challenging to comprehend a movie that on the one hand provides fauns and fairies, and on the other hand creates an inhuman sadist in the uniform of Franco’s fascists. The fauns and fantasies are seen only by the 11-year-old heroine, but that does not mean she’s “only dreaming;” they are as real as the fascist captain who murders on the flimsiest excuse. The coexistence of these two worlds is one of the scariest elements of the film; they both impose sets of rules that can get an 11-year-old killed.[/quote]

I’ve been meaning to check this out for a while. Looks good[/quote]

[quote]Seize wrote:

One of my favorite movies of all time!

[/quote]

Added to my list. Thanks!

78

[quote]MinotaurXXX wrote:

[quote]Mitchnasty wrote:

[quote]silverblood wrote:
a great foreign language film. worth all the subtitles. Guillermo del Toro directs.
piece of Roger Eberts review of Pan’s Labyrinth

“Pan’s Labyrinth” is one of the greatest of all fantasy films, even though it is anchored so firmly in the reality of war. On first viewing, it is challenging to comprehend a movie that on the one hand provides fauns and fairies, and on the other hand creates an inhuman sadist in the uniform of Franco’s fascists. The fauns and fantasies are seen only by the 11-year-old heroine, but that does not mean she’s “only dreaming;” they are as real as the fascist captain who murders on the flimsiest excuse. The coexistence of these two

worlds is one of the scariest elements of the film; they both impose sets of rules that can get an 11-year-old killed.[/quote]

I’ve been meaning to check this out for a while. Looks good[/quote]

[quote]Seize wrote:

One of my favorite movies of all time!

[/quote]

Added to my list. Thanks!

[/quote]

I actually got to see Pan’s Labyrinth in a small private screening a couple of weeks before it was released to the public. A good buddy was the gm of a small arthouse theatre and he threw a little viewing party. It wasn’t what I thought it was going to be so I was initially disappointed, but have seen it a couple of times since and it is legitimately a pretty damn good film.

79

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
I actually got to see Pan’s Labyrinth in a small private screening a couple of weeks before it was released to the public. A good buddy was the gm of a small arthouse theatre and he threw a little viewing party. It wasn’t what I thought it was going to be so I was initially disappointed, but have seen it a couple of times since and it is legitimately a pretty damn good film.[/quote]

It’s often best to go in with a tabula rasa mindset. I’ve caught myself in the “this ain’t what I expected…I’m out” trap only to later (sometimes much later) realize I was mistaken.

80


The Red Shoes is a 1948 British movie with a fairly simple story line. An authoritarian ballet company owner, due to circumstance and necessity, hires an unknown ballerina and composer. To his delight, both prove themselves geniuses at their craft.

Gradually, the dancer and composer fall in love, which jeopardizes the lofty plans the owner had in mind.

It’s not clear whether or not he suffers from romantic longing for the dancer, and critics have debated the point. Another possible interpretation is the owner, because he offered a Faustian pact with the dancer, which she accepted, is angered when she gives her soul to another.

The owner also has a pragmatic need to control the dancer. She is, after all, the prima ballerina in his company. And he has a business to run.

The tension from all this sets forth the chain of events.

The writing and acting are first rate. Choreography, music, and cinematography are exquisite.

The Red Shoes isn’t for everyone. And that’s ok too. The world would be boring if everyone agreed on everything.

IMDb rating: 8.3/10

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 98%

MinotaurXXX rating: 5 out of 5