RPS

Modern Family! It's the perfect sitcom - people are ridiculous enough to laugh at, but you still love them in the end.

Guys, Metacritic lists reviews and provides aggregate scores compiled from other reviewers. Saying "fuck whomever created this list" is like going to the store, spending a thousand dollars on beer, and then saying "fuck you" to the cashier when he gives you your total. Exactly. I'm surprised at some people's reaction. As I said earlier, all of the movies on that list are utter complete and utter shit movies. Doesn't mean you can't love them. I love lots of terrible, terrible movies, but I'm just honest about the fact they are really really bad movies.

Me and my partner are going through a bunch of "critically acclaimed movies" we haven't seen, so I'll be posting a shit load of reviews of older films. In The Loop 7.5/10 It felt like the subject matter was more suited for a television show rather than a movie. This makes sense since it's a spin off of British television show In The Thick Of It. It's a good movie that lags a bit; not that it's a long movie, it just feels like the movie dwells a bit. Also, I felt it was in this weird zone where it was too absurd to be real, but not absurd enough to move itself towards being a great parody. With those negatives aside, it's quite funny at times and emphasizes that power isn't always held by people who are visible to the public. Code Unknown 9/10 For anyone who's seen a Michael Haneke movie, you know what you are getting yourself into. The film is uncomfortable and jarring at times, confronting the audience with so many emotions and issues. Code Unknown focuses in on several different characters and how their lives intersect. Issues of class, gender, race, ethnicity, genocide, celebrity, family, reality and domestic abuse are all confronted. Movies tend to boil character's down to one dimensional portrayals - Haneke instead paints a world of complication, intersection and contradiction wherein we live. It's quite amazing, but only if you don't mind scattered narratives, very long-takes with little action, subtitles and a movie where there is no sense of cohesion and resolution at the end of the film.

Simple and easy - what's the best movie you've ever seen. I like things to be definitive, so try and keep it to one movie to make the thread a bit more interesting. My choice? Wizard of Oz. It's literally got everything - it's got action, suspense, fantasy and music all in one. It's absurd, heartwarming, over the top and all around amazing. I tend to dislike musicals - the suspension of disbelief in them is far too high. But the Wizard of Oz works. It's a fantasy land where everything occurs likely did happen. The use of technicolor in the film was superb and for the time was relatively groundbreaking, similar to the use of 3D and CGI in Avatar. All the performances in the film are wonderful, a bit over the top but it's a must for a fantasy film. In my mind, no film will come close to matching it.

If we are talking "so bad it's good" than Maneater starring Gary Busey. Check it out. It's BAD. If we are talking about movies that are actually bad than Master of Disguise. It failed on every level - acting, directing, dialogue and visuals. Awful all around.

The scene where Wahlberg talks to the plant? "Hello? My name is Elliot Moore. Just want to talk in a very positive manner, giving off good vibes. We're just here to use the bathroom, and then we're just going to leave. I hope that's OK." So delightfully atrocious. I feel like M Night is the stupid kid in class who ALWAYS has the wrong answer and tries so hard and yet fails every single class.

I think that's the worst movie I've seen since The Happening. M Night definitely has a career in making the worst movies imaginable.

So we are halfway through 2010 and what a freaking year it's been. Great releases seemingly every week, big name bands still to release some huge albums and probably more releases still to be announced before the year's end. I can honestly say that not since 2005 have I been overwhelmed with so many great albums. Even right know, I'm addicted to at least 6 albums from 2010. I don't freaking have enough time to listen to all the music I want to. Best albums: 1. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach (too me, it's the head to toe best album of the year. A bit long, some songs could be cut, but when the record delivers, it's so good) 2. Kelis - Flesh Tone (definitely growing on me and could surpass Gorillaz. This is pure dance bliss. Keli's succeeds in being timeless, independent and unique where everyone else is acting like Gaga.) 3. Yeasayer - Odd Blood (weird and accessible at the same time, Yeasayer manages to somehow bridge the gaps between indie, avant-garde and the dance floor. It sound's like Rihanna meets Of Montreal meets Animal Collective). 4. Hot Chip - One Life Stand (this could have been a perfect record had Hot Chip reconsidered some of the duller tracks on the record. Hot Chip has always been it's best when recording for the dance floor and the same is true here. The ballads suck; the hip shakers rule.) 5. Scissor Sisters - Night Work* (I think by the end of the year this record will have grown on me immensely. They cut out the kitsch from Ta-Dah and focused on celebrating sexual freedom and it work's 100% for them). 6. Kele - The Boxer* (Kele definitely has benefited from losing Bloc Party. By the end, it was too schizo. The band seemed to lack any clear direction. Kele's electronic vision is weighed down by his band mates aspirations for a Silent Alarm repeat). 7. Sleigh Bells - Treats (I'm not so crazy about Treats like everyone else, but I have to admit it's a great record. I just don't think it's as great as people make it out to be. I think their second album will be LOADS better than this one). 8. Janelle Monáe – The ArchAndroid* (I just downloaded this and LOVE IT. It's going to definitely place higher near the end of the year, I just need to listen to it more.) 9. Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma* (People are saying Sleigh Bells have this revolutionary sound, but I dig Cosmogramma FAR more. It's deep, jolting and captivating. I just downloaded it yesterday but I can see myself become addicted to this soon) 10. Robyn – Body Talk Pt. 1 (I feel like I want to like Robyn more than I actually do. She makes great songs - Dancing On My Own is out of this world. The rest of Body Talk just isn't as wonderful as I wanted it to be. She is releasing 3 albums this year, so there is bound to be filler here and there. Let's hope the next two installments are great.) The records with asteriks are ones I just downloaded in the last two weeks, so they'll definitely pick up steam in the next few weeks and months. Any one else? What are you guys feeling? Any recommendations? What did you love and what did you hate?

1. Kanye West - All Falls Down 2. Dizzee Rascal - Fix Up, Look Sharp 3. Missy Elliott - Get Ur Freak On 4. Kelis - Caught Out There 5. Eminem - Guilty Conscience

You guys have to remember, for better or worst, critics are followers who review movies with biases and have their own agendas. They don't tend to like movies that are overtly commercial, anything juvenile, cash-in sequels, parodies, or certain actors. That's why a bunch of the movies that people love will get slaughtered by critics - they want to praise and promote movies as an art form and movies that don't aspire to be higher forms of art are written off. Looking at their worst 200 movies, I think generally they get it right. A lot of those movies are really really bad on the list - and the movies that stick out like a sore thumb as out of place are bad movies that for whatever reason people tend to relate to. Billy Madison is an awful awful movie that makes me laugh till I cry - it's still an awful movie though and I love it.

Remember folks, this isn't a definitive list compiled of the worst movies - it's the worst reviewed movies featured on Metacritic. Therefore, it's going to heavily feature movies released after 1999 and movies that were reviewed by a handful of critics. So their list is a 'worst of movies compiled on metacritic with more than 7 reviews since 1999' rather than the worst movies of all time. Chances are if you liked a lot of the movies featured on this list, you probably don't care too much about what critics have to say about movies. The only movie I saw on the list that I absolutely adored was Freddy Got Fingered. It's sadistic, over the top and just so absurd. The reasons the reviewers hate the film are the exact same reasons it was made - it was meant to be juvenile and disturbing and classless. I much prefer this list: http://features.metacritic.com/features/2010/15-movies-the-critics-got-wrong/?tag=topslot;title;1 . It recaps the movies that Metacritic feels the critics got wrong. I've seen pretty much every movie on that list and agree that they were underrated by the critics.

Rock music isn't dead, it's just not really all that relevant, but I think this time period is similar to the 80's. It's clear pop and dance music is what people are consuming (as well as hip-hop and r&b) and there are lots of indie acts (I use the term loosely) doing cool and interesting things, similar to the 80's. People need to quit worrying - rock music will come back with something cool and new.

Soulwax & DFA both released a compilation of their remixes. Both are top notch if you like their production styles. I think Calvin Harris's remixes - he does The Reeling, She Wolf, Great DJ, Hearts On Fire, Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above. Crookers have some great remixes of Thunderstruck, The Salmon Dance, Bossy, Telephone, Animal, If U Seek Amy, Get Your Boots On, Fancy Footwork. Justice also has some great remixes as well - Let Love Rule, Get Your Boots On, Electric Feel, Love Stoned, The Fallen, Human After All, She Wants To Move, etc.

I don't think Ebert issue is whether it stays true to the adaptation, but the violence existing in the first place. He makes allusions in the article that perhaps the movie shouldn't have been made in the first place given it's source material. As I said before, I don't agree with his point, I haven't seen the movie. But if what he is saying is right, I could see his point.

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100414/REVIEWS/100419986/1023 What says you EWB? Mr. Roger Ebert happens to believe there is something morally reprehensible about this movie. Agree, disagree? I haven't seen the movie, so have no opinion, but I regularly read Mr. Ebert's reviews and this caught my attention. I might go and see it just to see if I agree/disagree with him.

As much as this episode sucked (RIP Boston Rob, we hardly knew they), I have a feeling that next week's is going to be amazing. Everyone seems to hate each other next week, which is exactly what I expected of the Villain tribe from day 1. Losing Rob and Tyson is totally fracturing the tribe.

Rage - 1/10 Awful, awful piece of shit. I stopped watching after half hour. I love me some arty films, but this? Atrocious and hopeless. Don't bother renting this. Broken Embraces - 8/10 Good movie. It was a solid film noir mixed with an Almodovar movie (lots of color, strong female characters, homages to classic film). I thoroughly enjoyed it, but it was a bit long. Dead Snow - 4/10 Nazi zombie film that sounds way better than it actually is. Uninspired, took itself way too seriously and NOT cheesy enough. The visual elements were very strong, some of the shots very well done, but other than that nothing to see her. Also - the subtitles were SO small I could barely read them. Who thought that was a good idea?! Mary and Max - 9/10 Such a delightful movie. Weird and quirky claymation film about a little girl from Australia that becomes penpals with a fat Jewish New York man with aspergers syndrome. The animation is great, the film is funny and dramatic at the same time and you legitimately relate to the characters. Great movie. The September Issue - 8.5/10 Documentary about the making of Vogue Magazine, focusing on Anna Wintour (the supposed inspiration for the Devil Wear's Prada). Watch if you like fashion or documentaries, don't watch if you don't like either. I happen to like both and enjoyed the film. Thought it was a great look at the absurdity, self-importance and vanity of fashion, while also showing it's potential for beauty and inspiration. You'll never want Wintour as a boss.

I don't know why, but that episode was hilarious. Just simply and utterly hilarious. It was really juvenile, but man... some of the one-liners were too perfect. I watched it with a group of four people and all of were on the floor laughing the entire time.

No, I agree it doesn't. A lot of Survivor fans are saying that the producers are rigging the show to make Russell stay longer, but I don't buy it. I do believe that if there ever was a case for the producers rigging the show, it'd be this episode, but I think it's more of a case of Russell and Parvati being really lucky and Tyson screwing himself big time.

If you read Tyson's interview, he told Russell, Parvati and Danielle that they were splitting the votes.

I have nothing new to add to this thread, just that I agree with everything preceding this.

[quote name='Pleatherface' date='26 March 2010 - 01:25 AM' timestamp='1269563148' post='1998229' On the other end of the spectrum, I have to applaud Russell, he knew exactly what Rob would do and picked the one person that he could work his 'houdini magic' on to ensure that he got to make the big move at tribal council and look like a genuis (though part of me hopes that he just tried that voting parvati speech with everyone and only Tyson was dumb enough to take him at his word) ... Also, I'm going to take this time to say... WHY IN THE HELL OUT OF ALL THE PEOPLE ON COOK ISLAND IS CANDICE A HERO?!?! I was all applauding Russell and than I read an interview with Tyson - apparently it had nothing to do with Russell, that was just the way the show was edited. Apparently Tyson had already decided before this point to make the decision to vote off Parvati instead, because everyone knew of the 3 v. 3 strategy and Tyson was certain that Parvati and Danielle would vote off Russell and than he'd have to vote off Parvati to ensure she was going. That's just according to an interview, so there we have it. The wonders of editing. Yeah, Candace being a hero doesn't make sense, though, I'm sure editing has played a role in ensuring that she hasn't been a big character. It seems like everyone and their mother is talking about how untrustworthy she is, so I'm sure she is doing a lot of scrambling that we don't see.

Thanks Tyson for ruining the season. We could have had Jerri, Boston Rob, Sandra, Coach and Courtney, all entertaining characters, going far. Instead, we got Russell still around. I don't even mind Parvati. It's Russell who is irritating. I'm sick of the hidden Immunity Idols. Honestly, this shit is getting obnoxious. It was great in Guatemala when they introduced it; it was something different and new. Now, when each week the HII is getting played, it's overkill and it's making me dislike the season a lot more. I mean, these games revolve around the HII and it's just getting a bit too monotonous now. Everything has been done - huge blindsides, fake idols. The only thing we need is multiple idols played on one elimination and the concept is officially dead. It's outrageous and making me dislike the show more. Oh, and major props to Russell. I dislike the guy, but it was a great move. Bravo.

1. The Great Dictator 2. Pink Flamingos 3. Scream 4. Psycho 5. Wall E 6. Elephant 7. White Ribbon 8. 28 Days Later 9. The Truman Show 10. A Single Man 11. Original Star Wars Trilogy A mix of great classic comedy (Dictator, Flamingos), great horror (Scream, Psycho, 28 Days), great indie flicks (Elephant, White Ribbon, Single Man) and one of the best kids movies ever released (Wall E). Oh, and I forgot Star Wars original trilogy. Great set of movies.

Thanks for the recommendation Sous. I was literally off to buy a Wii game this evening because I bought Boom Blox a few months ago and am getting tired of that one... it was fun the first time with the friends, but a bit boring after a while. Excitebots sounds like exactly what I needed.