Movie Reviews

[Invictus]

The Grudge 2 was OK. It touched on why the dead things were killing people. It was pretty much more of the first movie, which I liked because it was different.

I watched the Sentinel on PPV, it was ok. There's nothing highspeed about Michael Douglas except that he fucks Catherine Zeta Jones.

I want to go see that fucking Borat!

I can't believe they made Grudge 2 PG13...bit much in my opinion.

EXCEPT that he nails her?? What more do you need dude? The guys was a world class pussy hound, and now married to one of the hottest chicks alive. He's a go in my book.

[Steadfast]

Anybody see this?

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas In Disney Digital 3-D

With all the films out there I feel compelled to see the only one in 3D. Now where's my 3-D glasses? Fuck, where the fuck did I leave them? Fuck, fuck fuck, I need 'em.

[cams]

"The Proposition"- Aussie cowboy flick. Not bad, wasn't disappointed for the 3.99 rental. A very rough hewed western type, bad language and blood, not your family western of old and certainly won't be a classic.

"The Constant Gardener"- Sucked. Could've been much better. The sound quality was terrible. With the accents and the very poor sound, it was hard to even hear/understand what was being said.
Bad choice, wasted money.

"Derailed"-Jennifer Aniston and Clive Owen.
Good movie, Jennifer A is hot as ever, gratuitous violence, and a very cool story/ending. I enjoyed this movie. Well worth the rental price.

"The Dukes of Hazard"-I liked it, of course, who wouldn't with that f'n fantastic body walking around in a bikini!! Holy Mother of God!!
Besides that, I laughed, smiled and enjoyed this movie for what it was worth.

[Steadfast]

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas In Disney Digital 3-D

found my old 3-D glasses for naught. They did not work. The 3-D glasses given with the price of admission were like sunglasses made out of plastic.

Technically, the 3-D is always a treat. Screen seemed more like a HUD or Heads Up Display. Once that wears off, movie is very ho-hum. After 5 minutes I could have left and not missed any great mystery.

The best part of this movie is its happy ending & knowing that none of the walking dead weren't killed (although I saw no disclaimer that no dead character/animals were hurt).

[cams]

*crazy fact, the last Japanese captured on the island was 10 years later. he had been living in the tunnels and sneaking food out of the American camps at night. That's a hard core enemy.

There's a movie about this. Can't remember the name for the life of me, made in the 60's.

A Marine somehow gets left on the island, and ends up fighting a Jap soldier who s now like 60 yrs. old or something.
It was a good flick.

[Saki Smoke]

Anybody see this documentary yet? http://thegroundtruth.net/

It's about service members experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, but is highlighting unmoral behavior and humanitarean atrocities. It's being used by anti-war, peace activists, and left wing liberals to instill negative views of soldiers and marines, as well as our country's leadership.

I wanted to see what it was all about and attended a viewing at a church. Unknowingly, it was set up by a Virginian Peace Group and Amnesty International. After the viewing we had some serious heated discussions about military service to this country. They think they can make things better by walking from Lafayette Plaza to Freedom plaza with bull-horns and stupid signs. The good thing is they will never get organized, will be hard pressed getting their pingeon-holed opinions into main-stream America, and most of all, do not represent the majority of us. It is really unfortunate that they make a movie like that, that only shows a very very small slice of what goes on for deployed Service Members, and exploits that view point to instill feelings. I think they are going to start showing the movie to highschoolers to curb recruitment.

The documentary did bring up some things the military needs to do better. I have a couple reccomendations on how to make things better:

1. DoD and America needs to invest more time and resources for Service Members returning from combat zones. PTSD is a real problem and it effects many returning veterans. Not just those that have experienced traumatic events, but also for folks that live a year of their lives under constant stress away from home. We need to do a much better job reconstituting the force and the family. We need to do a better job providing the help and resources, when and where they are needed....not just at the moment they are returning. Many issues do not surface until 2-4 months after a deployment. Service members are a part of our communities and we need to do a better job being communal with them.

2. Recruiters need to stop surgar coating what is to be expected of Service Members upon re-enlistment. I understand that the job of a recruiter (and this includes corporate, government, and sports recruiters) are to recruit the best and the bright of America's youth. I personally think the Army scapes the barrel in alot of instances, but recruiters must be held accountable to provide accurate information. Although, if anybody is joining the Service (to include the National Guard) thinking they might not be deployed to Iraq or somewhere else, might not be coming home dead or maimed, or thinking serivce to the country is a cake walk.....they have probably been living under a rock. The real question is, do you feel like you have a responsibility to this country and what are you going to do about it? Freedom is not free.

3. A better moral code needs to be instilled in America's youth. The Army is a representation of our society, and in alot of cases, it is lacking the right character. That is the larger problem and is a huge problem. The problem we are faced with is how to shape and mold new recruits to be courageous and steady under fire, but honorable always. How do we instill a moral code that was not imprinted already. I don't know. I know I didn't need a whole lot of "breaking down, to build back up" in that area because I understand the basic differences between right and wrong. Soldier's also need to know that every action they undertake can not only but their buddies lives at risk, but can also have Strategic effects around the world.

Thoughts?

[BruteForce]

"A Marine somehow gets left on the island, and ends up fighting a Jap soldier who s now like 60 yrs. old or something.
It was a good flick."

I think you may be talking about "Hell in the Pacific", starring Lee Marvin and Toshiro Mifune.
It was a great movie, and very ironic since both Marvin and Mifune actually did fight in the Pacific. Marvin as a Marine and Mifune with the IJA.

Just as point of fact, the last IJA soldier to surrender on Iwo was in 1949, but there were soldiers who held out in other islands until 1972, and one discovered in Siberia in 1980.

..Saw it. Not too bad a film. Anything with Lee Marvin, the Duke, etc.. are excellent in my book!

[Julieanne]

Anybody see this documentary yet? http://thegroundtruth.net/

It's about service members experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, but is highlighting unmoral behavior and humanitarean atrocities. It's being used by anti-war, peace activists, and left wing liberals to instill negative views of soldiers and marines, as well as our country's leadership.

I wanted to see what it was all about and attended a viewing at a church. Unknowingly, it was set up by a Virginian Peace Group and Amnesty International. After the viewing we had some serious heated discussions about military service to this country. They think they can make things better by walking from Lafayette Plaza to Freedom plaza with bull-horns and stupid signs. The good thing is they will never get organized, will be hard pressed getting their pingeon-holed opinions into main-stream America, and most of all, do not represent the majority of us. It is really unfortunate that they make a movie like that, that only shows a very very small slice of what goes on for deployed Service Members, and exploits that view point to instill feelings. I think they are going to start showing the movie to highschoolers to curb recruitment.

The documentary did bring up some things the military needs to do better. I have a couple reccomendations on how to make things better:

1. DoD and America needs to invest more time and resources for Service Members returning from combat zones. PTSD is a real problem and it effects many returning veterans. Not just those that have experienced traumatic events, but also for folks that live a year of their lives under constant stress away from home. We need to do a much better job reconstituting the force and the family. We need to do a better job providing the help and resources, when and where they are needed....not just at the moment they are returning. Many issues do not surface until 2-4 months after a deployment. Service members are a part of our communities and we need to do a better job being communal with them.

2. Recruiters need to stop surgar coating what is to be expected of Service Members upon re-enlistment. I understand that the job of a recruiter (and this includes corporate, government, and sports recruiters) are to recruit the best and the bright of America's youth. I personally think the Army scapes the barrel in alot of instances, but recruiters must be held accountable to provide accurate information. Although, if anybody is joining the Service (to include the National Guard) thinking they might not be deployed to Iraq or somewhere else, might not be coming home dead or maimed, or thinking serivce to the country is a cake walk.....they have probably been living under a rock. The real question is, do you feel like you have a responsibility to this country and what are you going to do about it? Freedom is not free.

3. A better moral code needs to be instilled in America's youth. The Army is a representation of our society, and in alot of cases, it is lacking the right character. That is the larger problem and is a huge problem. The problem we are faced with is how to shape and mold new recruits to be courageous and steady under fire, but honorable always. How do we instill a moral code that was not imprinted already. I don't know. I know I didn't need a whole lot of "breaking down, to build back up" in that area because I understand the basic differences between right and wrong. Soldier's also need to know that every action they undertake can not only but their buddies lives at risk, but can also have Strategic effects around the world.

Thoughts?

For starters, the Army needs to stop paying lip service to their set of Army Values, and they need to start LIVING them. Those who don't live them, should be "peered out".

Loyalty
Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. constitution, the Army, and other soldiers.
Be loyal to the nation and its heritage.

Duty
Fulfill your obligations.
Accept responsibility for your own actions and those entrusted to your care.
Find opportunities to improve oneself for the good of the group.

Respect
Rely upon the golden rule.
How we consider others reflects upon each of us, both personally and as a professional organization.

Selfless Service
Put the welfare of the nation, the Army, and your subordinates before your own.
Selfless service leads to organizational teamwork and encompasses discipline, self-control and faith in the system.

Honor
Live up to all the Army values

Importance of Character. Be selected as only the best men are - those who would work together for the good of the group and pull their own weight.

Integrity
Do what is right, legally and morally.
Be willing to do what is right even when no one is looking.
It is our "moral compass" an inner voice.

Personal Courage
Our ability to face fear, danger, or adversity, both physical and moral courage.

[Nomad]

Dunno if it has been mentioned here yet, but two movies I recently saw:

"Crank" with Jason Stratham (Transporter, Snatch etc) is one of the best action movies I have seen in years. To top this, it is hilarious. Just wait for the Chinatown scene.

"Lady in the water" by M. Night Shylaham (sp?). I thought it was decent at best. Nothing scary about it whatsoever. "The Village" seems like pure gore compared to this one.

[cams]

"A Marine somehow gets left on the island, and ends up fighting a Jap soldier who s now like 60 yrs. old or something.
It was a good flick."

I think you may be talking about "Hell in the Pacific", starring Lee Marvin and Toshiro Mifune.
It was a great movie, and very ironic since both Marvin and Mifune actually did fight in the Pacific. Marvin as a Marine and Mifune with the IJA.

Just as point of fact, the last IJA soldier to surrender on Iwo was in 1949, but there were soldiers who held out in other islands until 1972, and one discovered in Siberia in 1980.

Wow. That is very ironic OG, pretty cool too actually. But I don't think it's the same movie I'm remembering, this one had a young actor, thick dark hair, stalky build, and there was a young female with him as well, where she came from God knows but, does this one sound like the same, it's been years so my memory may be scewed..... :?

[BruteForce]

I saw "Flags of our Fathers" this evening.

Before the movie, I had read the book.

All-in-all, it was a great story - centered on the intrigue about the 2nd flag raising and following those that were there (with small bits of combat footage thrown in to keep it interesting).

I was pissed during the movie though, as there was a group of 18-19 year olds, dressed like punks yelling "Hail satan" and other such garbage. After the movie, I ran into them in the parking lot, where they were talking shit about soldiers, etc.. and we traded words... needless to say, they may not talk too much shit about soldiers again.

[Darksaga]

"A Marine somehow gets left on the island, and ends up fighting a Jap soldier who s now like 60 yrs. old or something.
It was a good flick."

I think you may be talking about "Hell in the Pacific", starring Lee Marvin and Toshiro Mifune.
It was a great movie, and very ironic since both Marvin and Mifune actually did fight in the Pacific. Marvin as a Marine and Mifune with the IJA.

Just as point of fact, the last IJA soldier to surrender on Iwo was in 1949, but there were soldiers who held out in other islands until 1972, and one discovered in Siberia in 1980.

Could be "Heaven knows Mr. Allison". with Robert Michum.