Random Movie Thoughts Thread

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

i like movies about suicide too. i'm not suicidal and i don't want to die, but it's nice to think about just not existing

 

[Totenkindly]

i like movies about suicide too. i'm not suicidal and i don't want to die, but it's nice to think about just not existing

Yay -- the alternate cut of The Butterfly Effect.

I kinda veer around on that precipice of feeling regarding the self-survival vs self-destruction imperatives.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

Yay -- the alternate cut of The Butterfly Effect.

I kinda veer around on that precipice of feeling regarding the self-survival vs self-destruction imperatives.

Is the alternate the one with the realistic dreary ending? I know there was a happyish ending cut but it's been a while since I watched it. focus audience groups are the dumbest things ever. So many great movies ruined because of them.

I always wonder how it feels to fade from existence the way Marty starts to fade in Back to the Future. I know it's supposed to be a terrifying moment, but it's kind of neat

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

The more I learn about Bugsy Malone and The Peanut Butter Solution, the more bewildered I am.

 

[Totenkindly]

Is the alternate the one with the realistic dreary ending? I know there was a happyish ending cut but it's been a while since I watched it. focus audience groups are the dumbest things ever. So many great movies ruined because of them.

Not sure which ending you are referring to per se. The theatrical release is kind of realistic and dreary. The director's cut is what I was thinking of and is a bit shocking in the twist -- although it's kind of cool because it ties into a throwaway line or a short trimmed scene and you can read into it to figure out a few more things. So it's kind of achingly sad for one character but happier for a few others -- but maybe it's a more cynical view of existence overall.

I always wonder how it feels to fade from existence the way Marty starts to fade in Back to the Future. I know it's supposed to be a terrifying moment, but it's kind of neat

I guess, that photo almost ruined the film for me. I can't tell you how much I hated the photo with the silly fading, and him fading in pieces was silly too (for me). But hey whatever -- I still cry when George stands up to Biff, no matter how many times I see it, it's just done so incredibly well.

 

[Totenkindly]

Found Dual on Hulu last night -- was looking for this film (with Karen Gillan, who I adore even if the films she's ended up in at times have been a bit disappointing).

Feels a bit like a Lanthimos film in that the world itself is a bit weird and idiosyncratic. It doesn't have overt jokes, but from a dry dark humor perspective it made me burst out laughing so many times, esp with that damn doctor in the early part of the film. Like, if you're listening for the humor (typically ironic or situational or absurd), you will hear it through most of the film. I also like how it doesn't really go anywhere you might expect, plot-wise.

Gillan's performance seems purposefully robotic, so it bears some thought afterwards what might the purpose of that have been artistically. (I think I kind of understand.) It ended up being a somewhat sad film overall, but I don't really want to say more -- it's one of those things to be viewed, then thought about, and might be a comment too on the average person and expectations for life -- again digging into how much our problems might come from others versus them being driven by ourselves.

 

[Totenkindly]

Ray Richmond: Why the Andrea Riseborough uproar is a terrific thing for the Oscars – and for Andrea Riseborough

So, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decided in its infinite wisdom on Tuesday that it wasn’t going to deny Andrea Riseborough her Oscar nomination for Best Actress after all. …

www.goldderby.com

...But seriously, if we’re going to squelch an Academy Award nomination over hyper-enthusiasm, then campaigning itself is pointless. Just release a gag order and swear the outside world to silence.

Evidently, what really irked the academy was the mentioning of other potential category nominees by at least a few of the actors branch members who were stumping for Riseborough. They probably shouldn’t have done that over social media. Fair enough. But how is this different from discussing the races, say, in a large room full of Oscar voters? You really can’t effectively regulate postings any more than you can speech. Besides, I have to believe that this kind of lobbying is as old as the Academy Awards itself. It isn’t the tactics that have changed, only the medium...

Yup, last year CODA benefited despite being an inferior film in many ways because no one was excited by the better made films.

 

[Totenkindly]

Finished Bodies, Bodies, Bodies. I'll be honest, the first half was only marginally interesting and otherwise was kind of a plod. Where the film really shines is in its second half, when everything starts hitting the fan, people keep reacting to things potentially without cause, and worse and worse things happen. If you ever want to see a film based on crazy group 20-year-old female dynamics with lots of emotional violence, this is the film for you. It was rather amazing -- and of course it involves a lot of regular physical damage too.

I still think Lee Pace is hot.
(Pete Davidson, not so much.)

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Ray Richmond: Why the Andrea Riseborough uproar is a terrific thing for the Oscars – and for Andrea Riseborough

So, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decided in its infinite wisdom on Tuesday that it wasn’t going to deny Andrea Riseborough her Oscar nomination for Best Actress after all. …

www.goldderby.com

Yup, last year CODA benefited despite being an inferior film in many ways because no one was excited by the better made films.

All I know is that she was good in Mandy and did quite a lot without a lot of dialogue.

 

[Totenkindly]

All I know is that she was good in Mandy and did quite a lot without a lot of dialogue.

yeah, I forget if I mentioned here but I first saw her in Oblivion w/ Tom Cruise -- she was solid but also kind of prettied up for the role and the role itself kind of conventional, so I didn't really think about her much after.

However, then I saw her in other things like Mandy, Black Mirror, and Possessor, where she was specifically made up so her appearance was not at all an asset, and she was relying totally on her acting ability and just was so good... She seems very fearless to me, and authentic. So I will go out of my way to watch her films.

 

[The Cat]

It actually really kinda bugs me more and more how they've treated Wanda in this latest phase. She's like one of the best and most enjoyable in the Cinematic Universe and they keep doing her wrong. She deserves better.

 

[Totenkindly]

It actually really kinda bugs me more and more how they've treated Wanda in this latest phase. She's like one of the best and most enjoyable in the Cinematic Universe and they keep doing her wrong. She deserves better.

goddamit you are really out to get me rowled up.

SHe had this beautiful arc from Age of Ultron forward, through infinity war, then back at the end of Endgame ("You took everything from me." // "I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE," growls Thanos. // "You will," she promises. And then proceeds to almost trash Thanos so badly that he has to call down fire on his own troops to save his skin.) And then WandaVision was so beautiful, she did something awful (out of grief, not evil) but slowly clawed her way out of that and redeemed herself PLUS EMBRACED HERSELF AS SCARLET WITCH finally, and had this heartbreaking but lovely moment with Vision -- then it was like Sam Raimi didn't even bother to sync it up, he just turned Wanda TOTALLY evil as a plot device, threw out the miniseries, then rehashed her redemption in a less satisfying way, robbing Strange of his own film and ruining her character. Like, it was such a shit move that it almost retroactively ruined Sam Raimi's other films for me; I literally despise this man now, I can't even watch Evil Dead or Spiderman 2 without thinking about how terrible and disrepectful Sam Raimi is and how much I never want to see a new film by him.

My most favorite MCU characters are Wanda, Vision, and Nebula. The ending of Infinity Wars and later WandaVision were just heartbreaking, but it was a good pain -- they were some of the most beautiful acts of love I have even seen in an MCU film (which made what Thanos did with the Time stone even far worse). Well, thanks Marvel, you've kind of ruined two of them now.

I guess I still have Karen Gillan's Nebula ... for the moment.

I think I'm going to go beat my head on my desk for awhile now.

 

[The Cat]

goddamit you are really out to get me rowled up.

SHe had this beautiful arc from Age of Ultron forward, through infinity war, then back at the end of Endgame ("You took everything from me." // "I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE," growls Thanos. // "You will," she promises. And then proceeds to almost trash Thanos so badly that he has to call down fire on his own troops to save his skin.) And then WandaVision was so beautiful, she did something awful (out of grief, not evil) but slowly clawed her way out of that and redeemed herself PLUS EMBRACED HERSELF AS SCARLET WITCH finally, and had this heartbreaking but lovely moment with Vision -- then it was like Sam Raimi didn't even bother to sync it up, he just turned Wanda TOTALLY evil as a plot device, threw out the miniseries, then rehashed her redemption in a less satisfying way, robbing Strange of his own film and ruining her character. Like, it was such a shit move that it almost retroactively ruined Sam Raimi's other films for me; I literally despise this man now, I can't even watch Evil Dead or Spiderman 2 without thinking about how terrible and disrepectful Sam Raimi is and how much I never want to see a new film by him.

My most favorite MCU characters are Wanda, Vision, and Nebula. The ending of Infinity Wars and later WandaVision were just heartbreaking, but it was a good pain -- they were some of the most beautiful acts of love I have even seen in an MCU film (which made what Thanos did with the Time stone even far worse). Well, thanks Marvel, you've kind of ruined two of them now.

I guess I still have Karen Gillan's Nebula ... for the moment.

I think I'm going to go beat my head on my desk for awhile now.

Yeah it really grinds my gears too. What Wanda went through in Wanda Vision we went through it too, in a way that makes Sam Raimi seem like the most evil dead of all.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

Not sure which ending you are referring to per se. The theatrical release is kind of realistic and dreary. The director's cut is what I was thinking of and is a bit shocking in the twist -- although it's kind of cool because it ties into a throwaway line or a short trimmed scene and you can read into it to figure out a few more things. So it's kind of achingly sad for one character but happier for a few others -- but maybe it's a more cynical view of existence overall.


I guess, that photo almost ruined the film for me. I can't tell you how much I hated the photo with the silly fading, and him fading in pieces was silly too (for me). But hey whatever -- I still cry when George stands up to Biff, no matter how many times I see it, it's just done so incredibly well.

It is a little hokey, but I do like that changes to the timeline seem to ripple through and take some time as opposed to the timeline instantly changing. This could explain why Marty still retains his original 1985 memories when he returns to the new 1985

There’s a cut scene from part II where old Biff dies of a heart attack after returning to 2015. The implication being that Lorraine shot Biff at some point in the altered nightmare Hill Valley timeline.

 

[Totenkindly]

It is a little hokey, but I do like that changes to the timeline seem to ripple through and take some time as opposed to the timeline instantly changing. This could explain why Marty still retains his original 1985 memories when he returns to the new 1985

There’s a cut scene from part II where old Biff dies of a heart attack after returning to 2015. The implication being that Lorraine shot Biff at some point in the altered nightmare Hill Valley timeline.

I felt like there were more satisfying emotional beats in the first film, but I do like the interplay of the timelines in the second and also insinuations like you mention -- kind of cool. I enjoy when a film is willing to trust the audience and just throw in things that a smart viewer can immediately recognize the implications of.

 

[Totenkindly]

After Yang. Very meditative, enjoyed it overall, but I think the last half hour is the most powerful. Also, I think there's a lot more to unpack than one consciously realize while viewing, including the name of bot identity (compared to human) and Asian identity and how it is misappropriated by various demographics... but also that in the end it's also reflective of just how we tend to view other individuals as our limited perceptions of them without knowing the full depth of their experience or perspective, and once we start to get an inkling of it, it's like new worlds opening and the ability to identity with another.

I seem to be on a grief kick lately. As Yang also says, you can't have something without nothing. And then grief is perhaps the greatest sign of honor that can be imparted on something else, because it signifies the depth of love and thus loss. To summarize from a different story, What is grief but love persevering?

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Glass Onion was pretty good. This might be unpopular for some but I think this Rian Johnson fella is good at what he does. I will concede to criticism I have heard on a certain podcast that it "tells you what you already know about the world" but I'm not sitting down to watch a movie to learn about the world. I'm looking for a distraction, a measure of comfort, a salve. I want escape of some sort, if it actually tells me something about the world or how to live in it, it's really a bonus. This movie is positing a world in which wealthy overrated shitheads get exposed and actually face consequences for what they do. I'll take that fantasy.

I also probably laughed the most at Dave Bautista's alt-right vlogger character. I listened to some of his theories about evolutionary psychology and I was like "Oh, I know who this guy is; he won't shut up about alpha males". Is he also into kind of a Jerry Falwell Jr. thing or am I missing something?

 

[Totenkindly]

Rian Johnson has always been great at developing his own films and properties. He's actually really good (and the last two mystery films he did has again proven that), that's how he got the Disney gig, but they underestimated how extremely much he was into doing his own thing, when they really needed directors who would work together to develop a cohesive story. So anyway...

 

[Totenkindly]

I think she actually says a few lines as well in the film... but yeah, that's the gist. It's mostly monkey noises.

 

[ceecee]

Glass Onion was pretty good. This might be unpopular for some but I think this Rian Johnson fella is good at what he does. I will concede to criticism I have heard on a certain podcast that it "tells you what you already know about the world" but I'm not sitting down to watch a movie to learn about the world. I'm looking for a distraction, a measure of comfort, a salve. I want escape of some sort, if it actually tells me something about the world or how to live in it, it's really a bonus. This movie is positing a world in which wealthy overrated shitheads get exposed and actually face consequences for what they do. I'll take that fantasy.

I also probably laughed the most at Dave Bautista's alt-right vlogger character. I listened to some of his theories about evolutionary psychology and I was like "Oh, I know who this guy is; he won't shut up about alpha males". Is he also into kind of a Jerry Falwell Jr. thing or am I missing something?

It's great that Dave Bautista's actual politics are the complete opposite of his GO character. And that he picks interesting projects, he certainly doesn't have to.