NetFlix strikes out.
I finally finished watching the last of the three movies I've had out from NetFlix forever now. And what a disappointing crop! Ugh!
First up was "The Last Temptation of Christ." There was controversy over this? The only controversy there should have been was over it was, in any way whatsoever, a decent film. Willem Defoe was absolutely dreadful. The only salvageable pieces of this movie were Harvey Keitel as Judas (although the cheesy hair just has to go) and the scene where Jesus meets John the Baptist and his followers. Everything else? Dreck. And a lot of it! The running time on this sucker is nearly three hours and it feels much, much longer. Two thumbs up whoever's ass thought Willem Defoe would make a good Jesus.
Next was "Boogie Nights." I kept hearing how great this movie was. NOT. Holy crap, was this bad! And again, way too long. A bit over two and a half hours. Guess what, guys? I figured out the message of "porn stars are airheads" after about fifteen minutes. Not even William H. Macy could save this movie. Oh, one guy I did really like in this film: Don Cheadle. Great performance as Buck, the only character I could give even a tiny damn about. Burt Reynolds was tolerable, too. Mark Wahlberg? Uck. I'd give two thumbs up the ass for this one, too, but that might be considered a rave for a film about the porn industry.
Finally was "Like Water for Chocolate." Okay, I sorta liked this one. But it could have been so much more! The magic realism elements were great, although the mother as ghost was just cheesy. But the food igniting passions and setting the bathroom on fire? Great, great, great! My biggest problem with this film is that I just really didn't like Marco Leonardi as Pedro. He just seemed so damned whiny. Lumi Cavazos, on the other hand, was completely endearing. Her smile was just radiant. I also really liked Yareli Arizmendi as Rosaura. Pilar Aranda really grated on my nerves with her oh-so-fake giggles. Bleah. So this one was a mixed bag for me. There was a lot in it I loved and I found myself smiling a great deal. However... it was still a disappointment, because it came so close to be truly great, and wound up being only a decent rental.
Hopefully, the next three will be better. Looks like next up on the list are "Donnie Darko," "The Deer Hunter," and "Rashomon."
posted by Dave Clapper @ 3:33 PM
10 comments
10 Comments:
Have you seen Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind yet??? If not, please put it on your list! You will NOT be disappointed. I promise.
Which version of "Like Water for Chocolate" did you see? With or without subtitles?? I've heard that the dubbed version is pretty terrible -- and have specifically heard that the one girl's giggling is annoying beyond belief. We saw the subtitled version & loved it. Well, I loved it. Brand wasn't too thrilled.
But I also loved Boogie Nights. The, um, *extra-long* ending was, uh, memorable. :)
Ick, ick, ick, Paul Thomas Anderson, bleech. And Boogie Nights is his most watchable film. But that's the movie where I discovered my lifelong love for Don Cheadle. I can't wait to see him in "Hotel Rwanda."
I saw "Like Water for Chocolate" way back when it was in theatres (subtitled) and absolutley loved it, but when I saw it again a while back, it was not so magical. I don't know why.
Yup! Saw "Eternal Sunshine" with my lady love. GREAT movie, although not the best flick to watch for a new couple, especially when both folks are a wee bit skittish to begin with. :)
And yeah, it was the subtitled version of "Like Water." I dunno. There were occasional moments that were truly magical. When Rosaura was inflamed by the doves in rose petal sauce? That was terrific. That whole scene, from the preparation of the food to the moment she rode away with the guerilla was great. I really liked Rosaura. I gave the movie three out of five stars on NetFlix, so I didn't just hate it. But it could have been so truly great, y'know? There were just enough major annoyances to offset the truly beautiful stuff.
oh yeah. Not a very good choice for a new relationship is Eternal Sunshine.
Have you ever seen Big Night??? THAT is a GREAT food movie. Love, love, love that movie and the soundtrack.
Oh, haven't seen that one! Thanks. Just added it to my queue. :)
Can't beat Louis Prima for a soundtrack! Big Night is a great movie. If you like old movies, Stanly Tuchi (sp?), who directed Big Night, also did The Imposters, which is a hilarious spoof/homage of/to slapstick.
Boogie Nights is the only film during which I have ever seriously considered walking out of a cinema and asking for my money back. Awful!
Donnie Darko and The Deer Hunter should more than make up for this crop of turkeys though!
Just watched Donnie last night. WOW. I 'spect I'll be blogging about it later.
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