Random Movie Thoughts Thread

[Doctor Cringelord]

Milius talks about Magnum Force (18:20):

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Milius looks and sounds like Walter Sobchek lol

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Milius looks and sounds like Walter Sobchek lol

He was based on him, evidently.

 

[Totenkindly]

Mel Gibson's new flick.

Finally saw this. Wow.

Who comes up with this stuff?

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

I think a part of George Lucas just wanted to spend his career making art house films in a style like Nic Roeg

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Every time I read an Ebert quote, it reminds me of everything wrong with film and music criticism.

 

[Totenkindly]

Every time I read an Ebert quote, it reminds me of everything wrong with film and music criticism.

Frankly, that sounds like a kneejerk reaction.

Ebert at least tried to champion small films and was open to many many styles of film and could find value in various genres. I can think of other critics who piss me off regularly, but Ebert's generally not one of them, even if I have at times disagreed with an opinion he had.

Unless you just mean the Ebert site nowadays, since he's been dead for awhile and the reviews are written by about 8-10 staffers.

 

[Totenkindly]

Looks like Pixar's "Soul" which was supposed to release in June is foregoing an initial theater release and hitting Disney+ on Christmas this year (with a probable theater release when cinema becomes viable again).

I guess they were happy with their numbers with Mulan, which I think is also planned to be available without any further payment on D+ on Christmas as well; and it sounds like the studios are finally accepting that their dilemma isn't going to resolve anytime soon in favor of theater attendance.

I think "Soul" would draw some attendance simply because it is Pixar, but it doesn't seem as kid friendly and certainly not enough to get people out to AMC with their families all things considered.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Frankly, that sounds like a kneejerk reaction.

Ebert at least tried to champion small films and was open to many many styles of film and could find value in various genres. I can think of other critics who piss me off regularly, but Ebert's generally not one of them, even if I have at times disagreed with an opinion he had.

Unless you just mean the Ebert site nowadays, since he's been dead for awhile and the reviews are written by about 8-10 staffers.

He was inconsistent. I realize that movie criticism is HIGHLY subjective, as it should be, and so critics won’t always seem consistent, but the standards he applied to certain films left me scratching my head. While he would look past the same standards for some of the films he liked. Though I’ll say Siskel was a far nastier critic, doing shit like spoiling the ends of horror movies he hated to “spare” audiences the pain of seeing them. Critics should offer a helpful guideline; when they hold themselves up as THE authority, they’re missing the point of criticism. Plus, I’ll never forgive Ebert for shitting on The Thing. The film’s themes and Carpenter’s meticulous attention to detail were completely lost on Roger

But music criticism is worlds worse, I’ll concede that too. They’re just plain lazy. This sums up what I despise about modern music critics:

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

a few random thoughts on The Mothman Prophecies

This movie has creative cinematography. Lots of overhead shots, shots from behind that are slowly lilting and tracking, shots from a distance as if the camera is perched on the ground— as if to create the impression of seeing the events play out through the eyes of an observing moth.

The mothman entity itself is never shown, but this is wise. Showing and defining some fearsome creature would destroy the mystery. Instead we get a few suggested glimpses, as if seeing him in peripheral vision.

Richard Gere is an okay actor. A limited range pretty boy like Robert Redford, but he can do this sort of dramatic mystery thriller well. He is believable. I like him.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

I kinda had a thing for Laura Linney in the 90s

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I kinda had a thing for Laura Linney in the 90s

I think I had a little eight-year-old crush on Laura Dern in Jurassic Park. I bring it up because they're both named Laura.

also:

What 6 Dinosaurs from 'Jurassic Park' Really Looked Like | Mental Floss

When birds ruled the earth....

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

I think I had a little eight-year-old crush on Laura Dern in Jurassic Park. I bring it up because they're both named Laura.

also:

What 6 Dinosaurs from 'Jurassic Park' Really Looked Like | Mental Floss

When birds ruled the earth....

It would be funny if someone went back and CGIed in more accurate velociraptors, to see the characters running scared from turkey sized dinos

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

It would be funny if someone went back and CGIed in more accurate velociraptors, to see the characters running scared from turkey sized dinos

Is there a line in the movie about how they were modified to look more like what people would expect, or am I imagining that?

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Is there a line in the movie about how they were modified to look more like what people would expect, or am I imagining that?

Don’t remember, need to rewatch all of the Jurassic series.

I know Grant makes some kid practically shit their pants with his description of a raptor in one scene

 

[Totenkindly]

Yes, the raptors in Jurassic Park films do not align with our knowledge of actual velociraptors.

For example...
Velociraptor: Facts about the 'Speedy Thief' | Live Science

I don't remember a line in the films, but it's been awhile and I haven't watched all of them.

Weirdly, I also think the dino that attacks Nedry was actually much larger irl.

But honestly, yeah, despite that, I think the changes made the film better. I'm more bugged by discrepancies in the film, like how the trex paddock is flat when we first see it, then suddenly has a teetering huge drop the next so the jeep can fall off the edge.

 

[Totenkindly]

Man I am trying to watch Mothman for the first time, then keep getting bored.

I have to say it's one of my favorite Debra Messing roles though... based on duration.

I kinda had a thing for Laura Linney in the 90s

I really have liked her as an actress. And she is attractive, I think.

One of her first film roles, hilariously: "Mr. President? Uhh...Mr. president?" She only gets a few minutes of air time but makes it memorable.

Edit: damn. She's way too good for this Mothman film.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Man I am trying to watch Mothman for the first time, then keep getting bored.

I have to say it's one of my favorite Debra Messing roles though... based on duration.



I really have liked her as an actress. And she is attractive, I think.

One of her first film roles, hilariously: "Mr. President? Uhh...Mr. president?" She only gets a few minutes of air time but makes it memorable.

Edit: damn. She's way too good for this Mothman film.

It is kind of boring. I still like the camera work though.

 

[Totenkindly]

Been watching the Blumhouse drops on Amazon prime this weekend (four of them are on streaming now).

This clump of films all seem to be okay but flawed in some way (each differently), at least the two I've seen. typically the acting is decent as well as the production quality -- they just seem to have some kind of story/narrative issue, where it's clear what the main idea was supposed to be but the film doesn't quite nail it. IOW, I enjoyed watching them but probably not enough for a rewatch.

I saw "The Lie" (which is a remake of "We Monsters" -- I think a German film originally?) with one of the Skarsgard guys in it, and then "Black Box," which has the weird prestige of having Phylicia Rashad in it.

The Lie has some emotional continuity issues in it between scenes, and also some really dumb behavior by supposedly smart characters. However, the observations of one character about the parents are supported by the film, I thought it was interesting how an event like this actually brings both of them together. (which is an odd thing to see, considering what "this" is.) The cinematography is really great, with the minimalist/stark approach and the shots of the cold exterior world.

Black Box felt more like a TV network attempt at horror/scifi. The science is laughable and the horror doesn't really get there aside from the disorienting appearance of Troy James, a fairly well known contortionist. But it's got an emotional core in the relationships between a few characters, so I still cared what happened to them. I still feel like it never gets into the core of the characters (a writing issue) but contributes enough that you get the gist of what it is trying to do.