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Random Movie Thoughts Thread

Julius_Van_Der_Beak

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JFC.... yes. I just rewatched the original trilogy and he should have had one, and then we'd have avoided at least one piece of stupid bs in TROS.

EDIT: Put in good word with the Force for me, I am now halfway through TPM and will plow through the rest. My brain hurts. I haven't seen TPM or AotC for so long, there's stuff in the films that my brains is trying to tell me was added because I don't recall it... but then my son confirms it was always there.

There's some stuff in the podrace (like the entire second lap) that wasn't in the theatrical release, and Yoda was originally a puppet in TPM. So there were some changes but, that's probably not the stuff you were thinking of.
 

Doctor Cringelord

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There's some stuff in the podrace (like the entire second lap) that wasn't in the theatrical release, and Yoda was originally a puppet in TPM. So there were some changes but, that's probably not the stuff you were thinking of.

I didn’t mind the Yoda puppet with the extra hair in the 1999 version.

- - - Updated - - -

ENNIO :(

 

Doctor Cringelord

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top 5 film composers

jerry goldsmith
Ennio Morricone
john barry
Vangelis
basil poledouris
 

Doctor Cringelord

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For a long time in the states, the only widely available home video release of Mad Max was the one with the horrible American voiceover dub track. It always felt like a shitty B movie to me compared to The Road Warrior and Thunderdome, so it was a pretty big shock when I go the DVD release and watched with the original Australian audio track for the first time. It lifted the actors' performances so much hearing their original voices, and the film has jumped up on par with Road Warrior in my eyes. They do feel like two of a perfect pair, while Thunderdome and Fury Road are bigger stories to me that just happen to feature Max in an important role, but otherwise have nothing to do with him specifically.

I think if I had to rate them

1. Fury Road
2. Road Warrior
3. Mad Max
4. Thunderdome

I still love Thunderdome and think it's vastly underrated, but it's like the Alien Resurrection of the pack. Fun to look at and possibly the quirkiest one in the series, but far from the best.
 

Doctor Cringelord

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I actually think Magnum Force is a better film than Dirty Harry. The vigilante biker cops were a nice contrast to Harry. There is a fine distinction between Harry's and their styles. They go after criminals after the justice system fails to result in convictions. Harry, on the other hand is just a brutish old school cop who doesn't always follow proper procedure in the course of pursuing criminals. When the system fails, he begrudgingly accepts the results and keeps his eyes open for the next potential burglary or whatever. It's an interesting scene when they try recruit him to the cause and he just replies "I think you've misunderstood me" or something like that. I would peg Harry as chaotic good working in a law enforcement role in the first film, but in the second film he is closer to lawful good. Hal Holbrook is also great as the main villain.

I'd rank the films:

Magnum Force
Dirty Harry
Sudden Impact
The Enforcer
The Dead Pool
 

Julius_Van_Der_Beak

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I just watched Mystery Train.... so good.


You know, I was almost born in Memphis.
 

Totenkindly

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Kelly Preston Dies of Breast Cancer at 57 | PEOPLE.com

Sad, and she was only 57.

I never really watched many of her movies, although I remember her being astonishingly pretty and her tongue rather acerbic.

In fact, maybe Twins and Sky High are the only two I recall, aside from my most vivid memory of her which was in the comedy spoof film "Amazon Women on the Moon" -- she's the good-looking date who sends her bf into the small-town drugstore, where he hems and haws over how to ask for a box of trojans (or whatever they called them in the film to spoof it), and when he finally decides to demand them, it turns out he's the one millionth customer and it becomes a media celebration frenzy (confetti and all) and she drives off in a huff, leaving him in the store.

note: she was supposedly in Jerry Maguire too (probably one of the best movies in her credentials) but I really don't recall her in the film.
 

Totenkindly

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10 Cult Favorite Movies Lurking on Disney+

Some of these seem silly (I made it halfway through Willow, I guess I should finish it, but it's more just to say I finally watched it after 30 years), but there's a few films I'm interested in here.

I have really fond memories of "Escape to Witch Mountain" and it stuck Ike Eisenmann in my head forever (distinctive face), and I remember being excited when he showed up in Wrath of Khan as Scotty's nephew. Also want to see Return to Oz since I've heard a lot about it over the years + also have a love/hate relationship with The Black Hole. (I had a plastic model of the good robot when I was young.)

I think the thing of most interest is the reference to the Dexter Riley films, which started Kurt Russell. he's definitely one of the success stories of a child actor who actually build a real film career as an adult. But I always loved these films. I think "Now You See it, Now You Don't" is the least of them, but I remember fondly liking "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes" and I actually remember seeing "The Strongest Man in the World" in the movie theater. I just thought they were funny and was bummed there were not more of them. Even then, you could see Russell's charisma on screen, though.

(Lol, so many of these movies here, like "The Cat from Outer Space," had book adaptations I read through Scholastic.)

I cannot stomach "The Black Cauldron," however. I finally watched it this past November and I think I lost a significant number of brain cells over it. it has to be one of the most boring, aimless animations I have ever seen. There is no real emotional arc and the character reactions just seem assembled from a bucket of "ten canned responses" with little impact on the story drama. It's a prime example of how awful Disney had gotten over the years with their film offerings, shortly before their reinvention with The Little Mermaid. (The darker animation here isn't the problem, it's the lack of real story or character arc with emotional impetus -- it ends up feeling like, "Oh look at us! We're moving cartoons around on the screen! Isn't that cool? Aren't we great"?" without that movement having any value.)

Also, I was remember being shocked to hear Gurgi, because it was pretty clear Andy Serkis ripped his voice off for Gollum years later. Honestly, it was a voice worthy of a better film, so i guess that's okay... but it was just weird. I also read Alexander's fantasy series when I was young and don't really recall much of the film modeling the spirit and tone, but maybe my memory is shot. Maybe I should just reread McKillip's "The Riddle Master of Hed" series instead.
 

Totenkindly

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Watched "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" last night. Since I'm not super-acquainted with the book source, I found it enjoyable -- it's not really that scary and sometimes is leaned into things that have become trope. The connecting story framework was average, I didn't see it as "horrible" like some. Overall, it was more a horror flick where instead of getting super-creeped out, I laugh a lot instead (in a good and enjoyable way) and even occasionally yell at the screen. IOW, a fun horror film, not something soul-crushing like The Witch.

While people seem to best like The Pale Lady, the end of which sequence is actually pretty horrific, she didn't look as great in 3D as she did in 2D. I mean, it looks like the same character but looked goofier in the 3D modeling. The 2D, however...

2D image from book:


(note this is from a book series in the early 80's, predating a lot of the horror tropes since then)
 

Doctor Cringelord

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I don’t think any adaptation could really do those books justice. Those illustrations were nightmare fuel, I lived that dripping ink look, reminds me of Ralph Steadman a bit
 

Totenkindly

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I don’t think any adaptation could really do those books justice. Those illustrations were nightmare fuel, I lived that dripping ink look, reminds me of Ralph Steadman a bit

Yeah, the art is awesome -- plus it was for younger readers and included in school libraries, although apparently it's one of the most banned series and has been the focal point of a lot of conservative ire.

Apparently there was a rerelease ten years back with new art, and everyone was up in arms so they did ANOTHER release a few years ago and replaced it with the Gammell art. (What were they thinking?)


Two thumbs up to the artist, Stephen Gammell. Yeah, I agree -- it's pretty cool stuff. And he's a Caldecott winner (for something else).

The end credits for the film are actually creepy AF, even if they don't show any clear monsters. It's all deep red with slowly undulated black clouds and lines and shapes, like neurotic trees, demented poison clouds, and waving spider limbs and insect antennae. Honestly, that was creepier than some of the movie.

The film is also (rather neat) set in 1970 or so. It's got a nice color palette for that time period.
 

Doctor Cringelord

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Yeah, the art is awesome -- plus it was for younger readers and included in school libraries, although apparently it's one of the most banned series and has been the focal point of a lot of conservative ire.

Apparently there was a rerelease ten years back with new art, and everyone was up in arms so they did ANOTHER release a few years ago and replaced it with the Gammell art. (What were they thinking?)


Two thumbs up to the artist, Stephen Gammell. Yeah, I agree -- it's pretty cool stuff. And he's a Caldecott winner (for something else).

The end credits for the film are actually creepy AF, even if they don't show any clear monsters. It's all deep red with slowly undulated black clouds and lines and shapes, like neurotic trees, demented poison clouds, and waving spider limbs and insect antennae. Honestly, that was creepier than some of the movie.

The film is also (rather neat) set in 1970 or so. It's got a nice color palette for that time period.

I remember when they revised the art. It was terrible. It was all Victorian era looking. That right there takes you out of the stories. Most are set "present day", part of what makes them so scary to kids, because many are based on urban legends or real modern day stories. Put some illustration of a dude in a victiorian era outfit and it just doesn't work. You lose any sense that this could happen to you the reader.

Didn't realize these books were so banned, I remember buying the volumes at our elementary school book fairs. Not sure why we try to shelter our kids from horror. They should be aware of monsters in the world, both real and imaginary. And these books are mostly comprised of adaptations of old folk tales anyway, so to me it's just taking campfire stories and putting them in print. We still take my beat up old copies on camping trips to read at the fire.

Part of what made the books good was the Gammell art. No offense to Schwartz, but I think the art is really what sealed their popularity.
 

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I remember when they revised the art. It was terrible. It was all Victorian era looking. That right there takes you out of the stories. Most are set "present day", part of what makes them so scary to kids, because many are based on urban legends or real modern day stories. Put some illustration of a dude in a victiorian era outfit and it just doesn't work. You lose any sense that this could happen to you the reader.

Didn't realize these books were so banned, I remember buying the volumes at our elementary school book fairs. Not sure why we try to shelter our kids from horror. They should be aware of monsters in the world, both real and imaginary. And these books are mostly comprised of adaptations of old folk tales anyway, so to me it's just taking campfire stories and putting them in print. We still take my beat up old copies on camping trips to read at the fire.

kids are so much more resilient than over-protective adults seem to realize. Heck, I was trying to read the Alien adaptation when I was in 7th grade, I was peeved when my mom stole it from me. She didn't realize I had already read Donaldson's "Land" series that involved a lot of crazy horrific elements, plus other books.

Why do kids like ghost stories and scary bedtime stories so much? They typically can handle it and it"s how the process real life fears

Part of what made the books good was the Gammell art. No offense to Schwartz, but I think the art is really what sealed their popularity.

Totally. Art is a great fingerprint for a franchise, the stylism was utterly distinctive and evocative. Text isn't so immediately and visually distinctive, it's generally all about content (unless you're ee cummings, or you're doing something that can be almost immediately taken in, like shel silverstein).
 

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kids are so much more resilient than over-protective adults seem to realize. Heck, I was trying to read the Alien adaptation when I was in 7th grade, I was peeved when my mom stole it from me. She didn't realize I had already read Donaldson's "Land" series that involved a lot of crazy horrific elements, plus other books.

Why do kids like ghost stories and scary bedtime stories so much? They typically can handle it and it"s how the process real life fears



Totally. Art is a great fingerprint for a franchise, the stylism was utterly distinctive and evocative. Text isn't so immediately and visually distinctive, it's generally all about content (unless you're ee cummings, or you're doing something that can be almost immediately taken in, like shel silverstein).

I still have my copy of Alien by Allen Dean Foster. It's one of the better film-to-novel adaptations I've read. Novelizations of films are interesting because they're often based on earlier drafts of the screenplays. IIRC Alien included some scenes that were deleted, like when she finds Dallas and Brett being eggmorphed. The Aliens adaptation is also pretty dope. Foster also ghost wrote Lucas' novelization of Star Wars.

The Back to the Future novelization is not particularly good but you can tell it's based off an early version of the screenplay. Some of the parts are based on scenes I'd read about that were written or even filmed but later cut. The writing is just bad though. There's even a blog that does a page-by-page evauluation of it. It really reads like there was no editing process and it went straight from the typewriter to print, lots of clunky dialogue and repetitive passages.
 

Doctor Cringelord

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I just watched Interview With A Vampire which I probably haven’t seen since the 2000s.

For a long time I thought Pitt was a shit actor and I think it largely was because of this movie. It just seems a case of miscasting. There’s an awkwardness to his dialogue. Plus Cruise really steals the show, and how could anyone compete with that? I do think it’s one of Cruise’s better roles too. He really chews on the scenery and “vamps” his way through the dialogue. It’s amusing at the end when he makes fun of the tape of Louis’s interview.

As I have not read the books, does the journalist choose immortality? And how did Lestat even find Louis? Or did Louis know he was in the city but kept this to himself?

Anyway, while it follows a lot of the usual and IMO tired vampire tropes (coffins, death by sunlight, every vampire has to look like a supermodel, etc), I do think it’s overall one of the better vampire movies I’ve seen and pretty essential for anyone looking to get into the genre or do a marathon. Good makeup and costumes. At least it’s not another retelling of Dracula, which has to be one of the most frequently adapted novels ever done.

I read that Rice was disappointed with Queen of the Damned and has stated any future adaptation of her work would best be done as a TV series.
 

Doctor Cringelord

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It's a shame the new SW trilogy is such a disappointing disaster. I really just want to ignore the First Order era, or whatever it's being called in the timeline.

On the other hand, the additional material (Clone Wars series, Rebels, Disney era Anthology films, the Mandalorian, the Jedi Fallen Order game) have been great additions to the universe in terms of both storytelling and worldbuilding.

A large reason the new trilogy falls flat for me is the lack of any real character arcs. Well, Kylo sort of had an interesting arc, and I do like that he's a darksider tempted by the light, which has rarely been seen, whereas we've often seen lightsiders tempted by the dark.

I really wanted to like the characters introduced in the new films. I liked Finn, the idea of a rogue stormtrooper wrestling with his conscience. Rey was a great set up for what could have been the most interesting character growth arc since Ahsoka Tano. Rose was a great idea, because usually we're seeing SW following the brightest, most exceptional heroes, and she's just a lower decks mechanic who steps forward to become a great hero. Only none of these characters were really given any satisfying arcs, they just sort of moved from one challenge to the next as the plot pushed them forward. I realize the SW movies have always been arguably more plot driven than character driven, but it was a fairly even balance, like I'd argue the OT is 60% plot driven & 40% character driven. The PT is more like 75% plot driven, and the new trilogy is like 90% plot driven.

The "supplemental" material that is all of the shows, games and anthology films still considered canon, are just doing a much better job (in most cases) of showing characters I actually care about and who have decent arcs. I will concede Rogue One and Solo might be more driven by member berries and fan service than any real character development, but they get a pass because they just did great jobs of building the world up.

Look at the aforementioned Ahsoka's growth from the clone Wars film/pilot to the time of Rebels. Looks at Cal Kestis' growth in Fallen Order, from insecure former Padawan, to overconfident Jedi to realizing his own limits and understanding the need to hold off on trying to rebuild the jedi order.

With the new trilogy, It's just "okay here's this set piece, alright now along to the next set piece, now the next one." Where does anyone really learn or grow? They don't, they just feel like passive actors pushed along from situation to situation.

At least in the OT, however shallow the characters may have been, they seemed to learn or develop in some way from situation to situation, and it was usually their decisions and actions that push the story along from chapter to chapter, not the story pushing them from chapter to chapter, as we see with Rey, Finn, and to lesser degree Kylo. Luke grows from naïve but adventurous farmboy to rebel squadron leader to overconfident padawan to solemn jedi knight. Han grows from self-serving rogue to a guy who cares about his friends and the greater cause. Even C3P0 has an arc of sorts in the OT. I always loved the scene when he's telling campfire stories in RotJ. Remember when he said he's not much for telling stories in ANH? It's a subtle bit of development, we see that even this irritating droid who is arguably one of the more 1-dimensional of the main cast, has himself become a more rounded individual in some way.

I'll take Ahsoka over Rey in a heartbeat. I really wish the people like Filoni who seem to really understand the universe as more than just a vast collection of member berries and potential setpieces had had some role or input in the sequel trilogy. At least some involvement in story development or something. Kathleen Kennedy is a great businesswoman and I have no doubt a large part in the success behind people like Spielberg, but as a storyteller, I'm just not sure. The management of the new trilogy has just been a disaster. It's pretty apparent there was no real outline for how they were going to develop the story and build the characters. Kennedy is a marketing wizard, but she's no storyteller. The head of Lucasfilm needs to have more control or at least understanding of how to develop the grand story. Maybe they shouldn't have the same level of control Lucas had, but we need something in the middle of Lucas and Kennedy. Perhaps Filoni would be a good candidate for the next LF head. He's been woring on the universe for a while and really does seem to understand SW in a way that pleases both the old and the new fans and provides interesting characters. Clone Wars series took a bunch of wooden characters from the PT and breathed life into them, and made them interesting. And Mandalorian shows great potential should they really take these new characters and build them in a meaningful way as the series progresses.
 
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