ben_

Member since 3/23/2007, last signed in awhile ago.

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Re:Re:Re:THE ILLUSIONIST - THOU ...
By ben_ in The Imagination of Fantasy
"when i went to see the prestige, a movie i had been anticpating, i was surprised to see the trailer for that very same movie at a screening of that very same movie. i sat and wondered for a bit whether i had entered the wrong theater, whether to run out and check the sign above the door, etc... and then the movie began and much to my consternation - i had purchased tickets to see "the illusionist". i was more than a little upset because i had (for whatever reasons) decided i didn't like edward norton. even more surprising was that i thoroughly enjoyed the movie and my opinion of edward norton changed signifiacantly by the movie's end. i liked the "fairy tale" feel of the story, when it begins with the mysterious man who divluges secrets to the young man beneath a tree... secrets he later used to create a magical story of romance and intrigue. i did see the prestige later on, and every now and again i have arguments with family and friends as to which was the better ... " [More]

3:10 to Yuma

Yeehaw what a ride!
By ben_ in ben_ Blog
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"Caught the sneak peek and all I can say is AT LAST! audiences have been waiting for a great western and Yuma delivers, playing to a sold out theater this evening. i saw the original, and felt the story was a bit sketchy, at best - better character development and a few new twists make the new version a wild ride, and well worth the wait! Crowe is engaging as the charismatic outlaw Ben Wade, and Christian Bale portrays Daniel's reluctant admiration for the outlaw with perfect subtlety. what drives us toward good or bad and the struggle to hold on to the soul's integrity despite all we endure in life are explored with perfect execution (pun intended), with subtlety that stirs the mind without taking away from the forward movement of the storyline. I am thinking that this one will easily stand up to the upcoming releases of moviesof the same genre. its how the western was done the old fashioned way. " [More]

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

yo ho
By ben_ in ben_ Blog
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"a pirates life is not plotted out and loyalties change on a whim depending on the resulting 'take'. i kind of liked the chaos of the storyline, riddled with funny asides and poking fun at our baser human characteristics. very piratey. i really liked the davey jones part of it since they introduced him, and his appearance made him only that much more interesting - not to mention the lovely musical lockets and the depth his sorrow over his unrequited love. i hope they do make another... there's certainly plenty of mythology - nautical or otherwise - to go around and so far i think this has been a great vehicle for exploring them. there's still plenty of potential and though they might not be exactly on the mark with each movie, pirates are not everyday fare - and i for one enjoy the voyages back into the mysterious tales that brought us words like 'leviathan' and 'calypso' and ideas like 'davey jones locker' and pirate codes. " [More]

Georgia Rule

turning point
By ben_ in ben_ Blog
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"went to this one to save spidey3 to see with my movie partner who couldn't come along because of the redwings game... expected the same ol' same ol' .. how nice it is to be surprised. the movie delves into the finer points of mother/daughter relationships and the sometimes quirky ways we deal with our "demons". things are not always as they appear... georgia does rule. i am glad i saw this one. " [More]

Re: Recommended movies that you ...
By ben_ in Viewing with a purpose
"rented and watched Eyes wide shut again - lulled me to sleep again and after waking and rewinding (going back a few chapters).... i still dont like it. maybe it's just not my style? fargo... i couldn't even make myself rent it again to give it a second go. i think i'll just leave it alone. " [More]

Texas

swept away
By ben_ in ben_ Blog
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"i had fun watching this one and finding the hidden footage made it a challenge i couldn't resist. a fun look at one of crowe's passions. i shuffled the chapters to find the hidden footage - yeah i cheated - when the dvd first came out they gave out hints how to find them on their site - now i guess the dvd's have instructions on them. footage from italy was some of the most fun to watch. " [More]

Re: Top 5 Movie To Suprise You ...
By ben_ in Top 5
"Something About Mary - had no idea what it was about when i went to see it with a large group (mainly family) and we all laughed so hard we were sliding off our seats and definitely in tears - hadn't laughed like that in a long time.Kung-Fu Hustle - went to see it with a movie partner to reciprocate his accompanying me to movies i like - ended up loving the movie and laughing just as heartily as i did when i saw #1.Step-Up - went just because i had nothing better to do and was greatly entertained. V for Vendetta Apocalypto - the trailer made me think it was going to be a documentary sort of thing - but i went out of boredom and mel surprised me - in a good way. :)All time greatest surprise was Gladiator though.... i wanted to see it because of the traliers and surprise surprise - it was everything i'd have hoped for and more. " [More]

Re: Top 5 films from your child ...
By ben_ in Top 5
"ah yeah... porkys reminded me of another ............ Animal House. " [More]

Re: Top 5 films from your child ...
By ben_ in Top 5
"To Kill a MockingbirdDumboNight of the GrizzlyOld YellerSasquatch: The Legend of Bigfoot (you have to live in the boonies like i do to fully appreciate the effects this one can have on your psyche when you're young) " [More]

once you look at it...
By ben_ in ben_ Blog
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"i see movies purely for the entertainment value - and if i see a boom or a little mistake here and there (actually i dont always see them) it's not a big deal if i enjoyed the movie - Next was a spur of the moment choice and though i enjoyed the story well enough, it was difficult to overlook the fact that some of the acting seemed kind of stilted - to the point that it felt like julianne moore was having a time of it keeping the scene together. cage did well enough, as did jessica biel... no spoilers but it seemed like the script wasn't quite ready for screen. " [More]

Re: Introduce Yourself
By ben_ in Introduce Yourself
"Hello and thank you for the invite....i am a "yooper" from Michigan - meaning i live in the boonies of the lesser populated Upper Peninsula. If you love winter sports it's a great place to live - if not, visit us in the summer - it's paradise.i grew up on the shoreline of lake superior - riding horses and wandering the woods like a wild child with my siblings, cousins and friends. in high school i was in the band (drummer) and choir and chorale and either played in the orchestra or had bit parts in the local musicals. for the most part i stayed out of trouble and movies were the better part of entertainent. my parents were not very well off and i have six siblings so needless to say their evenings out were mostly spent at the drive-in with the lot of us stuffed into the back of the station wagon. we saw a lot of westerns (dad loved john wayne and clint eastwood, etc) and once in awhile some horror flicks... anyway, that's where my interest in movies began... i love ... " [More]

Re: What was the last film that ...
By ben_ in HORROR MOVIES 101
"i like the eye-poppin', heart thumpin', seat jumpin' kind of scared over the blood and gore stuff anyday (i miss most of the "action" in the blood and gore stuff because my hands are usually over my eyes)... scared beats grossed out anyday for thrills... the grudge, the ring, and boogey man scared me. i wanted to be scared by lady in the water - but instead i ended up feeling enchanted by the story. can't say i saw much of 'saw'. i saw one movie that was supposed to be scary but for the life of me i can't remember the name of it... it was in theaters about the same time that boogey man was.... it had three people in it who were the "ghoulies" and a woman and two kids in a house, i think - and a room with something below the floor, a pentagram or something, i dont remember it made such an impression.....it kind of missed, completely, with the scarey part. in the past, movies that got to me were the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre ( i was just a kid ... " [More]