893 posts shown.
Megan Gray6 said:And here we have the very first TV spot:
John Wick: Street Chase-TV Spot #1 HD
Basically GAMER is a rehash of the eighties Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle, The Running Man only instead of satirizing reality TV, this reflects the growing obsession with online multi-player games.
The best thing about GAMER is that gamer is that Neveldine / Taylor definitely had the pacing down pat as it runs a lean ninety minutes, and doesn’t wear out its welcome. I have to say, I kind of dig their whole trash/excess aesthetic, and I imagine if you watch this between CRANK & CRANK 2, you could see their evolution (or de-evolution) to the trashterpiece insanity of CRANK 2: HIGH VOLTAGE (this was shot BEFORE, and sat on the shelf for a while). If you like this type of thing (and obviously, there are people that do, as the film went over really well at the screening I attended—although it had a few walkouts) you’ll probably get a kick out of it, although you’ll be disappointed if you walk in expecting a straightforward action flick. Still, I dug it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a trashy adrenaline rush.
Grade: 7/10
Gamer isn't exactly treading new ground. It doesn't provide an entirely new concept nor does it revolutionize either action or sci-fi films. What sets this film apart is that IT takes Concepts and ideas that we're familiar with and re-purposes them in The Neveldine / Taylor Package and it's The packaging (the fast zooms, unconventional angles and blocking, crazy action and wacky humor) that makes it unique and fresh. Some may love it simply as a mindless action film, but for those who care to look further, the film presents some concepts worth discussion. A fun action film with a bit of brains? Yes please. I'll take that.
Rating: 8 out of 10
Melissa Evans said:After quite a while, I revisited Aliens. For the first hour, absolutely nothing happens, and once the action finally kicks in, the cinematography is so poor that I simply gave up on it.
I barely scratched the surface of The Godfather Part II because, frankly, mobster stories just don't interest me.
I find Transformers unwatchable. I have a real issue with how the military is positioned as the central focus and how they are portrayed onscreen.
I tend to avoid movies starring Tom Cruise; in my opinion, he lacks genuine acting range and carries himself with an air of conceit. I’m staying far away from Operation Valkyrie and War of the Worlds.
War movies aren't my thing.
I'm not a fan of boxing films either; I haven't even made it past the five-minute mark of Rocky.
I haven't stumbled upon a Western that actually held my attention yet, but I suppose hope springs eternal.
I never finished watching Chicago. I always have to stop at some point because the whole musical aspect feels incredibly dull to me.
I actually walked out halfway through Terminator Salvation while I was in the theater. The filmmaking felt uninspired, gray, and completely devoid of creativity.
With The Simpsons Movie, I wish I had walked out of the theater immediately. It was so poorly executed and failed so miserably; it isn't even worthy of a single episode, despite there being an abundance of source material to work with.
I watched about five minutes of The Shawshank Redemption before turning it off. It didn't grab me, and I generally have no interest in prison dramas.
I steer clear of anything featuring Scarlett Johansson.
I find Quentin Tarantino's films to be unappealing and tedious.
Woody Allen's films fail to interest me.
I've never sat through The Prestige until the end; it strikes me as a rather dull movie about magicians.
I never managed to finish The Village by M. Night Shyamalan.
I make a conscious effort to avoid anything produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.
goldenhound32 said:Well, obviously... and that’s precisely the problem. In this instance, the impression left by the movie is being driven by something entirely external to the film itself. And what lies outside the film? It's just Jean-Claude van Damme's previous body of work.
If JCVD had spent his entire career starring in heavy dramas, this wouldn't be perceived as such a great film.
goldenhound32 said:Felon isn't a B-movie.
goldenhound32 said:Heh... I merely stated that Jean-Claude Van Damme has flaws; I didn't explicitly state my conclusion, yet you somehow jumped to the assumption that I was just being pedantic. It isn't. We are discussing a monologue.Do a little reading online... then you can decide for yourself if I'm overreacting.
If I hadn't done my research online, I wouldn't have even bothered watching it.🙂By the way... Jean-Claude Van Damme isn't an action star at all... check it.😉
It appears someone hasn't been reading my posts very carefully.But when you look at the big picture... all of them (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal... even Bruce Willis to an extent) have spent their careers churning out the same kind of movies—big, loud action flicks. Some were just luckier than others to land a few higher-quality projects within that genre.
My point is simply this: Stallone's crap is better than Van Damme's crap. That's all I'm saying. It's the same genre, but the quality differs.
hiddenhound3 said:I find myself in the exact same position. There are many times when I feel a sense of regret, and truthfully, in most instances, I realize from the very beginning that I have made a mistake. Still, I cannot help it; I have this compulsion to see through everything I start.
Nicholas Edwards4 said:Nothing is garbage until I decide it’s garbage, honestly... I just can't stand prejudices, whatever kind they may be.
I guess the first sign that a movie is going nowhere is when you don't see a single recognizable face on the poster.
And honestly, the second thing is that as soon as I spot some busted-up cars or cheap-looking clothes—unless we're talking about some legendary cinematic classic—I'm probably just going to change the channel.
rustyscout34 said:Personally, I don't mind Jean-Claude van Damme either way. I've seen maybe ten of his movies and they're fine for killing time with a beer, I suppose. > has been on my list for a long time, and everyone seems to praise it, though I doubt it's actually among the best of '08... 👍
goldenhound32 said:I think you're exaggerating a bit... sure, the movie is good, but calling it one of the best of 2008 seems like a stretch.
Either you're a fan of Jean-Claude van Damme, or simply the mere fact that he's attempting an action role inflates your rating, causing you to overlook the film's actual flaws....though, generally speaking, it remains one of the superior entries in his filmography, which, in my estimation, doesn't deviate significantly from the typical body of work produced by other action heroes of the 80s and 90s...
It does differ from Sylvester Stallone.
Nicholas Edwards4 said:My husband is exactly the same way, and I’m honestly just sitting here waiting for the moment he finally realizes he's watching absolute garbage. 😁
There's even this one specific subgenre that he won't even touch—you know, those cheesy American movies with baseball players and cheerleaders.
Matthew Williams42 said:👍
I'm with you on this
plus, I've never really been a fan of Jean-Claude van Damme or Dolph Lundgren
I tend to be pretty skeptical about war movies or anything involving terrorism themes—though I do make exceptions here and there🤷
crimsontrucker4 said:This is actually going to be good; I don't think Sena is really a "trash" director.
Daniel Allen2 said:It looks like you guys have already covered pretty much all the good torture scenes.
As soon as I saw this thread title, that one scene from Payback popped into my head—you know, the one where the guy is absolutely brutalizing Mel Gibson by smashing his toes with a hammer? Daammn. 😁
Jerry Adams71 said:They're both great, but I think the first one edges out the sequel just a bit because of Marlon Brando...
bluebison8 said:We'll just have to wait and see which one comes out on top. Sure, Star Trek has that massive budget, but at the end of the day, I think The Man from Earth is the superior film 🙂
bluebison8 said:Two John Wick style movies dropping at almost the exact same time? Heh. 🙂
