Posts by Elizabeth Garcia2

So, what was the actual motivation behind starting such a ridiculous thread in the first place?
I’m genuinely curious...

Video of the line at the AMC theater.
Total garbage...

The whole James Bond series, those big action flicks produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
Basically, I'm talking about movies that fall under that massive action spectacle genre.
To me, those kinds of movies are just incredibly dull... I honestly can't keep my attention focused for the full hundred minutes or so they run. It’s better if I just catch them on TV, you know? Just flip through to see maybe three interesting five-minute scenes—and that’s about it.
Like Homer would say: Boring!

Out of all the films on this silly list, the only one I truly find boring is The English Patient. I haven't seen The Da Vinci Code and I probably never will, so I can't really weigh in there. As for Vanilla Sky, I think it’s a bad, failed attempt at a movie (I'm way too fond of Abre los ojos), but it wasn't boring.

The topic's already been made. A long time ago...

redowl90 said:I think you're taking Bay a little too seriously. His goal isn't to hit up film festivals and pick up awards. He wants money. And he's incredibly good at getting it.

There are serious films (which aim for, or at least try to serve, an artistic purpose) and then there are popcorn movies. Michael Bay is a popcorn movie director. The whole point of those films is to ENTERTAIN the audience, and I think Michael is currently the best in the business at that. There's no art here (nor will there ever be).

And that’s the goal... which in my case, definitely DIDN'T happen.
It wasn't fun or engaging for me, it was just BORING and EXHAUSTING...
Plus, it felt totally numbing and stupidifying.

redowl90 said:I hope you noticed that while I was defending Bay, I intentionally left Armageddon and Pearl Harbor out of it, since those two are completely different beasts compared to the rest of his filmography. I didn't mention Bad Boys 2 either, mostly because I haven't actually seen it.

To be fair, Armageddon and Pearl Harbor really are bad movies. I’m not running away from that truth for a second: from the disastrous casting to plots that are either totally unrealistic (Armageddon) or just plain distorted (Pearl Harbor), everything about them is a mess.

On the flip side, I think Hrid actually has one of the best plots in the action genre. It isn't mindless; it actually makes sense. The villain isn't some over-the-top caricature like you see in most action flicks, which I appreciated. Plus, I missed out on an incredible score by Hans Zimmer.

The Island has a really engaging story and, at least for me, a great ending. I was genuinely surprised by how good it was, and honestly, it might just be the best film Bay has ever directed (aside from Hrid, obviously). 🙂

I’m not sure what everyone else thinks of those titles (though I'm fairly certain quietdriver3 doesn't even take these genres seriously), but personally, I find Transformers and Bad Boys to be great cinematic fun.

I haven't actually sat down to watch Transformers or The Island, so I can't really weigh in on those... I just don't have much of an appetite for any new stuff from Bay lately.
It's been ages since I saw Bad Boys or Hrid, so I decided to dig through my own list of watched and rated movies just to see what I had actually written down about Bay's work. Man, I am so glad I keep that little logbook... both a physical one and a Word doc...🙂

So, here it is:
Hrid-5/10, Bad Boys-5/10, Armageddon-3/10, Pearl Harbor-2/10.

It’s worth noting that I rated these right after they came out; if I were watching them today, they'd probably all get at least one point lower...
But hey, I guess that’s just the charm of keeping a rating list...

Kate Torres said:Man, I’m actually about to sit down and watch some Michael Bay just to see how much I can stomach. I honestly can’t remember the last time I sat through such a total blockbuster disaster. Not that I’m looking for any excuses 😁

EDIT: Which one of his movies is the absolute worst to start with?

Honestly, Pearl Harbor is the reigning heavyweight champion of being totally greasy!
Just picture it... you've got the brave Ben Affleck, then there's Josh Hartnett with those tiny little eyes of his, and the heartfelt Kate Beckinsale, all pouring their actual souls out for the American homeland...
It’s just brutally, deeply greasy...

redowl90 said:OK, so that means you were about 17 or 18 back during the Hrid era... Which means those peak teenage years gave you two paths: either you were the ultimate geek already devouring Fellini, Buñuel, Fassbinder, and Renoir at that age, or you just weren't watching movies then and picked it up later once you actually grew up... 😁

But seriously though... I'm curious, what specifically makes this movie a miss for you?

Action movies like that just bore me.
I’ve never really sat down to overthink it, nor do I want to; it’s just that watching stuff like Hrid, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and those kinds of action flicks just wears me out... they leave me feeling bored.

That's it! There isn't some deep philosophy behind it. It's pretty straightforward.

redowl90 said:I can't believe you don't think Bad Boys or Hrid are good movies. Seriously, how old are you? 70?

Hrid definitely isn't a mindless movie.

They really aren't.

redowl90 said:I can't believe you don't think Bad Boys or Hrid are good movies. Seriously, how old are you? 70?

Hrid definitely isn't a mindless movie.

No, I'm 30.

redowl90 said:Michael Bay is actually a great director. It’s just a shame nobody ever gives him credit for it, mostly because the average moviegoer doesn't care about that sort of thing. We all want to act like we're too "cool" for high-octane visuals or slick directing—as if things like "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days," "Eastern Promises," or "Oldboy" are the only things worth watching—while the people who actually enjoy those big blockbusters aren't exactly film scholars.

But, looking at it objectively (as much as you can), movies like Bad Boys, Rock, Island, or Transformers represent some of the best pure cinematic entertainment from the last 15 years.

That definitely isn't "objective"...
In my own subjective opinion, Bay is just a bad director who makes mindless movies...
And honestly, I'm right there with Peter Travers over at Rolling Stone when he introduced: The Razzie Award for Worst Soul-Sucking, Dumb-Ass Bottom Feeder
he said this about it:
"Bay almost had it for Transformers — nobody does bull like Bay, he rocks it — but I'm going with Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End for illustrating just how low talent will sink for a big fat payday."

Donna Myers42 said:I've gotta hand it to those "trackers"... it's basically Mission Impossible...

But why?
Just think about it for a second.
You watch a movie, pop it out of the player, slide it back into the case.
Then you grab that little notebook where you log everything—write down the title, the original language, the cast, the director, maybe give it a star rating.
How long does that actually take? Honestly, less than a minute.
I don't see the big deal here, and I definitely don't get why anyone would be impressed by it.
I really just don't see it...

Henry Bennett53 said:My personal log has about 950 entries—including the title, translation, cast, director, and my own rating from 1 to 6—but I’d say I’ve actually watched maybe another 300 or 400 on top of that. I started keeping the list back around '97, though I've been watching movies since the mid-80s... things really picked up for me toward the end of that decade.

Right now, I'm sitting at nearly 1,200.
The pace has definitely slowed down lately... life just gets in the way, you know? Work, my girlfriend, all these new responsibilities...
Back when I was in college, I was watching way more...
Still, I make sure to keep the list of rated films updated and organized. It matters to me...

redowl90 said:You need to get Spike Lee into the local video store right now! Seriously! That’s what you call a documentary, unlike that propaganda stuff signed by Moore (though I did dig Sicko quite a bit, probably his best work yet).

There Will Be Blood doesn't even hit theaters here in the States until February (it can't be screened anywhere before Berlin), but man... that movie is easily one of the best things I've seen, not just this year, but in years. Just incredible in every sense. Even if there are some plot holes crawling around in the middle, it still feels like the film of the year because the directing is just masterclass level. And Daniel Day-Lewis? Absolutely legendary performance... he earned that Oscar long before anyone else.

As for I'm Not There, I'm not sure if it'll even get a wide theatrical release here, but I'm certain the video rental shops will have it, so definitely check it out when you can. Todd Haynes didn't miss the mark at all after that amazing Far from Heaven, and Cate Blanchett is 🙏. She deserves a nomination, period.

By the way, you haven't been around here that long... or maybe I'm just losing my mind?

I'm always hanging around somewhere, just not super active.
There are so few actually good movies lately that I rarely feel the urge to say anything...
95% of what comes out is just garbage, and I don't want to waste my keystrokes on it.

redowl90 said:1. There Will Be Blood
2. Armin
3. Notes on a Scandal
4. When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts
5. Michael Clayton
6. The Kingdom
7. Zodiac
8. Letters From Iwo Jima
9. I'm Not There
10. The Banishment

I haven't caught There Will Be Blood yet (pretty sure it hasn't even hit theaters here in the States), but honestly, knowing it's a P. T. Anderson film and seeing all those glowing reviews... I have no doubt it's going to be massive.
Haven't seen anything by Spike Lee either, nor I'm Not There by Todd Haynes.
Just a gut feeling that this whole lineup is going to be incredible...

granitehound19 said:I haven't seen the last two movies on this list, so I can't really weigh in on those. As for the rest, I mostly agree... except for that number one spot. Honestly, Apocalypto doesn't deserve to be ranked that high—it's not even in my top 10. You missed a huge one for the top spot, though, or maybe you just haven't seen it yet... it's "The Kingdom." To me, that's the best movie of this year, maybe even the last few years... 🙏

I haven't seen The Kingdom (yet). But I'm planning to soon.
It's pretty clear we don't see eye to eye on Apocalypto. For me, it's an incredible film.

David Price5 said:How are we supposed to decide what actually counts for 2007? Most of the movies you mentioned have 2006 listed on them...

That's the tricky part...
I personally keep a log of everything I catch at the local AMC, so I have a pretty clear idea of which ones to include.
But honestly, don't let that trip you up when you're putting your own lists together. It doesn't have to be some rigid rulebook; there's plenty of wiggle room.
Just maybe don't go pulling in stuff that's already two years old...🙂

The year is winding down, so it's finally time to sit down and crunch the numbers...
For about ten years now, at the end of every calendar year, I put together my own little list of the absolute best stuff from the past twelve months—my Top 10. My rule is pretty simple: it has to be a movie that had its US theatrical release during that specific year.
This is actually the first time in all that time that I haven't been able to label a single film as an actual masterpiece.
It’s a little depressing, honestly... though, looking back, there were still plenty of really great movies out there.

My Top 10 for 2007:

1. Apocalypto. M. Gibson
2. El Laberinto del fauno, g. Del Toro 3. Inland Empire
3. David Lynch
4. 4. planet Terror, R. Rodriguez
5. 5. Death Proof, Q. Tarantino 6. LETTERS fra IWO Jim
6. Clint Eastwood 7. Zodiac
7. David Fincher
8. CHILDREN of MEN, Alfonso Cuarón
9. der ANDEREN, F. Henckel von Donnersmarck
10. CHA no Aji, K. Ishii

I'm curious... what did you all think of the movies released in the US in 2007?

Nah, thanks.
I don't really watch movies by Edward Zwick anymore.
I made a promise to myself after that irritating The Last Samurai... Zwick got on my nerves so much (and honestly, T. C. too) that I almost just walked out of the theater right then and there.
Zwick is just one of those politically correct Hollywood craftsmen... a poser, really, all style and no substance. I wouldn't even say he lacks talent, per se, but whatever talent he actually has is just completely misdirected.
I can't stand The Last Samurai, and I absolutely despise Legend of Autumn.
As for Blood Diamond, I'm skipping that one.

All I've got left on my list are:
that lady with two kids and
the little guy in green up in the tree.
Anyone else?

Lisa Ross14 said:That’s enough... but honestly, definitely not Babel. It felt way too long-winded, kind of disjointed, and just... overly naive...👎

Next time, before you hit post, maybe just take a second to actually read the thread title... it's literally "best movies of 2006."
If you really don't have anything to add to this thread, just start your own topic and write about "movies that weren't actually that great in 2006"...
Look, just... please don't bring stuff like that in here. It really has nothing to do with what we're talking about in this thread...
So, I was thinking... maybe we should try to put together a real definitive list here... you know, like a deep dive into the absolute best films ever made... just to see where we all stand...