Comments on: Good Films

By: Abdul-Razzaq A. Aqrawi

Abdul-Razzaq A. Aqrawi — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:00:46 +0000

these are all very good and interesting movies, but I for one find the movies where”nothing ever happens” to be even more fun to watch. they just seem to be more appealing and fascinating, so if you could, and dont mind including some more of “your movies” please, that would be great

By: Jillian

Jillian — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:48:34 +0000

They used actual students for the movie, and apparently none of the people who played the students were professional actors. Most of the classes are small, but they seem like real classes so it doesn’t really matter. And it’s funny in that I-don’t-know-if-I-should-laugh-at-that kind of way.

By: Mr. Quale

Mr. Quale — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:00:25 +0000

Thanks for the recommendation–it’s now on the ole Netflix queue. Usually I avoid the teacher movie genre like the plague; I get mad when when there are only 15 students in every class and everyone looks like they are 24. But this one looks very promising.

By: Jillian

Jillian — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:53:58 +0000

Okay so I know this was posted a long time ago, but I just saw a good movie, which actually might fit with the nonfiction film unit.
It’s called Chalk, and it’s a great mockumentary about teachers. It’s like The Office, except a full movie. I think everyone would enjoy it. It seems like a documentary, and a lot of reviews I read of the movie involved people not realizing it was not a documentary until halfway through.

I’d highly recommend it.

By: Kate

Kate — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 04:10:37 +0000

I saw Into the Wild a while ago at the tower. I thought it was really good especially in comparison to the book which rarely ever happens. I really liked the air planes
i guess thats it.

By: Jillian in first period

Jillian in first period — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:12:16 +0000

One movie that I LOVE because it is hysterically funny and heartbreaking at the same time is Everything is Illuminated. I am actually reading the book right now, and of course the movie deviates from the book, but the screenwriters handle the book well (so far as I can tell). But I would definitely recommend that, and it seems appropriate because it has that indie feeling about it.

Sorry, I don’t really have any comments on the movies recommended because I haven’t seen any, but I definitely do want to see Into the Wild and Children of Men.

By: Danielle

Danielle — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 01:28:30 +0000

Also, to add on, I recieved an e-mail from The Crest Theatre (www.thecrest.com). They will be showing a movie by Guillermo Del Toro, who produced Pan’s Labyrinth.
Here’s the information.
There is more at the Website.

Opening January 4
THE ORPHANAGE

It might come as no surprise that the producer of the Spanish supernatural thriller THE ORPHANAGE is none other than Mexican director Guillermo Del Toro (PAN’S LABYRINTH, THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE), for his influence is felt greatly throughout the picture. Made by an entire crew of newcomers–director Juan Antonio Bayona, screenwriter Sergio G. Sanchez, director of photography Oscar Faura, composer Fernando Velazquez–THE ORPHANAGE is an extremely accomplished work. The story concerns Laura (Belen Rueda), who has returned with her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) and adopted child Simon (Roger Princep) to the large manor where she was raised in an orphanage as a child. Laura is determined to fix up the abandoned house and open it as a refuge for ill children. But from the moment she returns, the past begins to haunt her. It isn’t long before she begins to see the children who she used to play with as a seven-year-old. And when Simon goes missing one afternoon, she’s convinced that they have taken him hostage. What follows is a murky descent into Laura’s mind, where she doesn’t know what is real and what is a figment of her tortured imagination.
Bayona brings Sanchez’s complex script to life with the help of Faura’s haunting imagery and Valazquez’s atmospheric score. But what makes THE ORPHANAGE an even greater achievement is its insistence on being more than just a superficial scare-fest. Bayona and Sanchez are more interested in deeper themes of memory, loss, and grief, establishing Laura as a mother who feels guilt over not being able to protect her child from outside forces. The result is a film that is both unsettling and moving.

By: karina

karina — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 05:33:52 +0000

Gracias Danielle, I’m into the spanish revolution so i think i’ll dig it, so i’ll check it fer sure

By: Kevin

Kevin — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 06:36:12 +0000

Children of Men was a very interesting film to watch. Although it strayed quite a bit from P.D. James’ original novel, the theme of the story stays the same: humanity needs hope in order to survive. Great acting by Clive Owen and Michael Caine never hurts, either.

By: Danielle

Danielle — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:56:39 +0000

oh. haha. i just realized it was up there.
nevermind.
i still recommend it. : ]

By: Danielle

Danielle — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:53:25 +0000

karina: Pan’s Labyrinth is a good movie. it was a very gruesome story and creepy (my mom covered her eyes at some parts). it has that eerie fairytale like feel to it. i was hard for me to keep up with it at first with the subtitles (since it is all in spanish) but the second time, it made a lot more sense. i really like foreign films and i think this is one of my favorites. i guess it was based off of an old spanish tale and then moved to the time of the spanish revolution. you should definately see it.

By: karina

karina — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:40:36 +0000

I saw Into the Wild a little while ago. It was cool that Emile Hirsch was in it because I liked his acting in Lords of Dogtown, and The Emperor’s Club, and Eddie Vedder did the music which was also cool as I like Pearl Jam even though most of my friends think he sounds like a hick… The movie was overall righteous and inspiring.

There was that part at the end when McCandless is like talking about his parents when he is in Alaska and he was like “If I was running back,smiling, into your arms, then would you see what i see now?”- I thought that was really powerful.

I think my art teacher wants me to see Pan’s Labyrinth

-karina

By: Mr. Quale

Mr. Quale — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 22:01:51 +0000

Mr. Lyons,
Thank you for your insightful opinions about Into the Wild–I like the Easy Rider connection, especially because I think in both films the soundtracks fit perfectly. I have been in complete Into the Wild mode recently: I saw the movie, I am reading the book, and I have placed Vedder’s soundtrack on heavy listening rotation. But I’m glad you enjoyed my little “mini-reviews,” and I hope to consistently post more, a well as some generated by my students. I have mixed feelings about Anderson’s latest opus, The Darjeeling Limited, but I am very, very excited for the 6-Dylans-in-one movie I’m Not There, which looks incredible.

By: michael lyons

michael lyons — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 02:55:24 +0000

So I just saw Into the Wild at the Crest. It’s like an adventurous mix of Easy Rider, Grizzly Man, and The Motorcycle Diaries, but one that an IB student can connect with better. I mean, what’s all this college talk for when one can live just as well for themselves without the necessities of the modern world? Of course I found this film to be utterly beautiful and masterfully created; it can really only be appreciated on the big screen. As the film progressed the connection between the audience and protagonist only grew until it inevitably felt like you were right there with him. A great great movie that hits all the right notes, which is especially impressive since Sean Penn isn’t the most seasoned director in the world…
Loved the Eddie Veder scoring too.

Sorry for my movie-ish rant… I’ve been writing movie reviews on my blog for two years now, so I can get really into it. I’m also a huge prude with the four star ratings, I’ve only given it to maybe five movies in the last 7 years… And “Into the Wild” is now one of them.
Great site by the way..

-Michael H. Lyons

By: michael lyons

michael lyons — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 22:11:24 +0000

hooray for movie reviews! It’s awesome getting the smaller independent movies some play time.

Volver is good but pales in comparison to Hable Con Ella of course. Because that movie is like the most cerebrally beautiful movie of the last 20 years. Either way i love almodovar and spanish melodrama.

i think i speak for all when i say more movie reviews!

-michael H. Lyons

p.s.
the selection of books for IB1 is soo sooo soooo much better than this year’s lot. This year’s books are like the movies you described in that nothing ever happens. except they aren’t actually good to make up for the fact that nothing happens. Oh well.