Random Movie Thoughts Thread

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Watched "Scott Pilgrim vs The World" again last night. I have to say, this is a film that does its own thing and actually ends up cool, versus the very recent "Gunpowder Milkshake" that tries really hard to be cool but is mostly just derivative. Wright just has mad creative skills, he knows how to put together a scene that would be silly or clumsy in another's hands and make it work somehow. This film just pops with energy, crackling goofy dialogue deliveries, and just the seven evil exes chew up the scenery. A lot of the fight scenes might have good, frenetic action, but they're really well-supported by the great audio and visuals.

We also know Michael Cera' deal at this point, but he still does it well here.

Also Alison Pill. She is just not really meant to be a "nice" person in a show or film, I really hated how flat her character was on Picard although that could just be that show in general. But give her the opportunity to be acerbic (here), cold (DEVS), or edgy (In Treatment) and she just seems to pop out of the screen.

This film also seems to have a bunch of people who weren't as well known at the time, including Brie Larson who was probably only about 21 at the time. Of course, Chris Evans is now truly a world-wide name after playing Captain America (I always get a kick of watching him play an asshat, playing against pop culture type). Brandon Routh is playing a jerk here. I think it was sheer genius casting Jason Schwartzman as the BBEG and he just plays this part for breakfast, he dominates the screen whenever he's on with a perverse manic glee. I don't know where he gets all that energy from.

I love that being a vegan gives you superpowers here.

 

[ceecee]

Watched "Scott Pilgrim vs The World" again last night. I have to say, this is a film that does its own thing and actually ends up cool, versus the very recent "Gunpowder Milkshake" that tries really hard to be cool but is mostly just derivative. Wright just has mad creative skills, he knows how to put together a scene that would be silly or clumsy in another's hands and make it work somehow. This film just pops with energy, crackling goofy dialogue deliveries, and just the seven evil exes chew up the scenery. A lot of the fight scenes might have good, frenetic action, but they're really well-supported by the great audio and visuals.

We also know Michael Cera' deal at this point, but he still does it well here.

Also Alison Pill. She is just not really meant to be a "nice" person in a show or film, I really hated how flat her character was on Picard although that could just be that show in general. But give her the opportunity to be acerbic (here), cold (DEVS), or edgy (In Treatment) and she just seems to pop out of the screen.

This film also seems to have a bunch of people who weren't as well known at the time, including Brie Larson who was probably only about 21 at the time. Of course, Chris Evans is now truly a world-wide name after playing Captain America (I always get a kick of watching him play an asshat, playing against pop culture type). Brandon Routh is playing a jerk here. I think it was sheer genius casting Jason Schwartzman as the BBEG and he just plays this part for breakfast, he dominates the screen whenever he's on with a perverse manic glee. I don't know where he gets all that energy from.



I don't know much about it, but I saw the talk today of how Jared Leto is virtually unrecognizable... Now I need to look it up. I really thought Gaga was amazing in "A Star is Born."

Yes until he started speaking in the trailer, I had no idea it was him.

I could get totally ratioed for this but I think part of what I don't like is Al Pacino.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Yes until he started speaking in the trailer, I had no idea it was him.

I could get totally ratioed for this but I think part of what I don't like is Al Pacino.

What do Ratio Tile and Allah Gold have to do with this?

 

[ceecee]

What do Ratio Tile and Allah Gold have to do with this?

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Makes sense. We are for the big, after all.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

Anyone can do a raspy old Pacino impression but to impersonate young Pacino (when he still acted instead of just shouting and cursing a lot) takes a tad more nuance and skill

 

[SD45T-2]

Anyone can do a raspy old Pacino impression but to impersonate young Pacino (when he still acted instead of just shouting and cursing a lot) takes a tad more nuance and skill

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

Occasionally he still tries. In this case, he was working with Scorsese and Scorcese has a way of making his actors give 110%

I also think the shouty thing does work to his favor at times, like in Scent of a Woman or The Devil’s Advocate.

He gave a pretty solid performance in Heat too. Michael Mann is another director who seems to bring out the best in actors. But overall I think he’s gotten lazy and too often takes lazy roles in shit films and coasts on his name recognition and legend


I really wish he and Deniro did some movies together in their prime back in the seventies (Godfather II doesn’t count)

 

[Totenkindly]

Watched this movie on Netlfix, "What Keeps You Alive." I am not sure how I feel about it.

Two female leads. One had a generic part but did fine with it. The other did an excellent job in the range of her emotions.

The camera and directing itself was decent. Good framing, neat shots (some of it outdoors). Decent enough pacing of scenes.

But I was extremely frustrated by the plotting. it's thriller semi-horror material, and I don't know much stupid shit the lead does in this film. She's supposed to be smart, and she does dumb thing after dumb thing. When she needs to do something to save her own life, she doesn't do it. When she shouldn't do something, she goes ahead and does it. She makes really stupid decisions, but she's not positioned as a dumb character. The OTHER lead plays a very flat character, which I noted she plays well all things considered, it's just the film falls back into a well-known thriller tropes rather than doing something original. And there's a number of things that are just not feasible. Like, a character with a broken ankle limps without much issue for a mile or more through the woods; I had a broken ankle hairline fracture as a kid and I could not put weight on it and was screaming anytime I did. But there's other stuff physically that I'm like, "Is that even possible? Or is that even how it works?" Durrr.

I got so annoyed by the plotting that I had to stop the film in the middle because I didn't care to watch anyone and had to come back to it later, whereupon the lead did more stupid, incompetent things.

Like -- maybe watch the director and the actors again, but have someone else write the material.

 

[Totenkindly]

Saw "THe Green Knight" today with my son.

Yesterday a guy in my gaming group sent out a scathing e-mail about the film and called it a "piece of shit." I thought it pretty clear that he went into it expecting one kind of film but it's an A24 arthouse film, not a heroic sword and sorcery film. And that is how it played out for real. it's a pretty wonderful piece of film making, full of ambiguity and more about the inner journey of Gawain, not about an external quest with battles. Remember the end of Inception, where the deal is we don't give a shit whether the top falls or not, because it's about how Dom has learned to accept this reality as his own regardless and thus now is with his kids again? This film is similar. it doesn't matter what happens right after the ending, because the movie journey was just resolved regardless inside of Gawain. In fact, the film is kinder to Gawain than most versions of the story in writing.

It's also a cool film that tells a story from the director's vision but is ambiguous enough that viewers can still discuss what different things meant.

if you know the actual story, the film is a bit more comprehensible. Otherwise, it's kind of surreal. In this version, Gawain is not yet a knight and is drifting. His mother Morganne and/or Morgawse has been stuck caring for him but wants to both make a name of him AND throw him out of the nest, so she summons the Green Knight to visit Arthur's court. The Knight asks for someone to strike him a blow, and in a year's time he will return the same blow upon the man. Gawain agrees, partly due to just having admitted he has nothing to summarize his life -- it's all been empty and pointless -- and takes an extreme blow of actually lopping off the knight's head. Instead of dying, the knight picks up his head, says "One Year" and rides off.

The rest of the story is about how Gawain approaches that fateful meeting in a year's time, where he fully expects to die.

Lowery (A Ghost Story, Pete's Dragon, The Old Man & The Gun) has shown a wide variety of film styles and this hearkens back more to A Ghost Story, with its ambiguous realities and internal character work and eerie desolate ambiance. If you go expecting external conflict, you'll be a disappointed. It's really about this journey by Gawain, the various things he faces, and their impact on his sense of integrity and character, culminating in a truly great end piece where everything is put on the table.

I am expecting only certain audiences to appreciate it, it's not a film for everyone, and some will even be confused. (I can only shed light on some events in the film, but I'm not entirely clear of the specifics after one viewing.) This is the way it was supposed to be, though.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

I watched W again. It’s funny. Dreyfuss is Dick Cheney

 

[fatgurl]

I was recently watching a movie commentary for Captain America: Civil War. I still get mad at capt america for lying to iron man. He knew Bucky had killed his parents but kept it a secret the whole time.
And then Bucky had the audacity to shoot after Tony when he punched Steve after seeing the video of Bucky murdering his parents.
That whole movie just really made me dislike Steve. I understand him defending his friend (which he seems to take too far to the point he will hurt anyone even though his friend is the problem) but lying to iron man for so long. Somebody that was supposed to be your partner and friend.
Cap really lost my respect when he pulled that shit. Took me a few movies to start being okay with him again.

 

[ceecee]

I watched W again. It’s funny. Dreyfuss is Dick Cheney

Oh it is funny. Especially because they cast Rob Corddry, a funny person, to play Ari Fleischer, a seriously unfunny person.

 

[JocktheMotie]

I was recently watched a movie commentary for Captain America: Civil War. I still get mad at capt america for lying to iron man. He knew Bucky had killed his parents but kept it a secret the whole time.
And then Bucky had the audacity to shoot after Tony when he punched Steve after seeing the video of Bucky murdering his parents.
That whole movie just really made me dislike Steve. I understand him defending his friend (which he seems to take too far to the point he will hurt anyone even though his friend is the problem) but lying to iron man for so long. Somebody that was supposed to be your partner and friend.
Cap really lost my respect when he pulled that shit. Took me a few movies to start being okay with him again.

I understood it. I do like how when they're fighting, Cap tries to justify it, saying Bucky was his friend and was trying to protect him. Tony responds, "So was I." So good. I was initially bummed Civil War turned into a personal schism instead of something more drawn out and societal like the comics but I get they had already established the Thanos big bad and I have to say...they were right because Infinity War and Endgame was just perfect storytelling.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I watched Star Trek IV, which was pretty good, and less dated than I thought. This is actually probably the movie that it makes the most sense to crib from for a Kelvin timeline movie, given the eco-themes. Only instead of whales do something with climate change. I think probably the most dated thing about this movie is the scary punks (which to be fair you also see in a lot of other movie like Terminator), and the music when they first start walking around in San Francisco.

I've also started Star Trek V which from what I've seen so far, deserves it's reputation. I know I defend Luke Skywalker milking a space walrus, but why did we focus so much on that three-boobed cat alien stripper so much? I got the feeling that William Shatner might be a furry; it didn't seem like it was done as weird humor. Still, I liked the scenes in Yosemite with crew; those were pretty good. It also seems like they're giving people outside of the trio stuff to do which was something I liked about Star Trek IV. But the stuff with Sybok (who is apparently related to the Wachowskis!) at the beginning was sooo bad. I mean the idea isn't bad, especially because that was supposed to be a jab at televangelists and that decade had really seen their rise, but the execution.....

Seriously, though. I knew something like this was in the movie but the camera lingers on it way more than I expected.

 

[Coriolis]

I watched Star Trek IV, which was pretty good, and less dated than I thought. This is actually probably the movie that it makes the most sense to crib from for a Kelvin timeline movie, given the eco-themes. Only instead of whales do something with climate change. I think probably the most dated thing about this movie is the scary punks (which to be fair you also see in a lot of other movie like Terminator), and the music when they first start walking around in San Francisco.

I especially appreciate the humor in ST IV, it is very clever, with Chekhov and Uhura going after a nuclear sub, Scotty and the engineering company, and Spock wandering around in that robe like some latter day hippie.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I especially appreciate the humor in ST IV, it is very clever, with Chekhov and Uhura going after a nuclear sub, Scotty and the engineering company, and Spock wandering around in that robe like some latter day hippie.

I read a theory that Scotty giving the formula for transparent aluminum is what changed the timeline and caused the Eugenics wars to happen in the 90s.

 

[Totenkindly]

“Val,” Reviewed: A Val Kilmer Documentary Reveals Thwarted Hollywood Dreams | The New Yorker

Interesting article and I might watch this. I feel bad for the guy in the sense that it's hard dealing with cancer and especially when it derails a lifelong passion for film, since he can't really talk anymore in a way that supports acting. I feel bad for him in the same way I have felt bad for Julie Andrews and Linda Ronstadt no longer being able to sing or at least sing as well (for Andrews, due to a botched surgery). It's hard to lose something that is a centerpiece of your life.

I thought it more interesting to skim through the comments on FB and am not quite sure what to make of them. About 60% seem to be well-wishes, the other 40% were complaining about what a prima donna he was during his career and how he made everyone else's life hell on set. I haven't really thought about him much at all for some years (aside from watching Tombstone finally, in 2021 I think), but I might have heard this before. Can't remember if we discussed it then.

Probably aside from the affectations of Doc Holliday's presence on screen (he was a standout in the film), I think Heat was my favorite role for him. He was only a supporting character ("Chris" -- married to Ashley Judd's character, and kind of a screwup/wreck of a man who was still competent at his work as a thief), but I felt like Mann got a great performance from him for what might have been a shallow role. Otherwise it's just roles I remember from young, like Top Gun or Top Secret. I've tried to push through Willow a few times but keep quitting before the end out of boredom.

(Side note: There's a brief homage to Willow in The Green Knight that just came out, with the hanging cage at the crossroads shot.)

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

“Val,” Reviewed: A Val Kilmer Documentary Reveals Thwarted Hollywood Dreams | The New Yorker

Interesting article and I might watch this. I feel bad for the guy in the sense that it's hard dealing with cancer and especially when it derails a lifelong passion for film, since he can't really talk anymore in a way that supports acting. I feel bad for him in the same way I have felt bad for Julie Andrews and Linda Ronstadt no longer being able to sing or at least sing as well (for Andrews, due to a botched surgery). It's hard to lose something that is a centerpiece of your life.

I thought it more interesting to skim through the comments on FB and am not quite sure what to make of them. About 60% seem to be well-wishes, the other 40% were complaining about what a prima donna he was during his career and how he made everyone else's life hell on set. I haven't really thought about him much at all for some years (aside from watching Tombstone finally, in 2021 I think), but I might have heard this before. Can't remember if we discussed it then.

Probably aside from the affectations of Doc Holliday's presence on screen (he was a standout in the film), I think Heat was my favorite role for him. He was only a supporting character ("Chris" -- married to Ashley Judd's character, and kind of a screwup/wreck of a man who was still competent at his work as a thief), but I felt like Mann got a great performance from him for what might have been a shallow role. Otherwise it's just roles I remember from young, like Top Gun or Top Secret. I've tried to push through Willow a few times but keep quitting before the end out of boredom.

(Side note: There's a brief homage to Willow in The Green Knight that just came out, with the hanging cage at the crossroads shot.)

Perhaps he can find a new passion that still ignites his creative spirit, like writing or some sort of crafting. It's never too late to adapt and start fresh.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

“Val,” Reviewed: A Val Kilmer Documentary Reveals Thwarted Hollywood Dreams | The New Yorker

Interesting article and I might watch this. I feel bad for the guy in the sense that it's hard dealing with cancer and especially when it derails a lifelong passion for film, since he can't really talk anymore in a way that supports acting. I feel bad for him in the same way I have felt bad for Julie Andrews and Linda Ronstadt no longer being able to sing or at least sing as well (for Andrews, due to a botched surgery). It's hard to lose something that is a centerpiece of your life.

I thought it more interesting to skim through the comments on FB and am not quite sure what to make of them. About 60% seem to be well-wishes, the other 40% were complaining about what a prima donna he was during his career and how he made everyone else's life hell on set. I haven't really thought about him much at all for some years (aside from watching Tombstone finally, in 2021 I think), but I might have heard this before. Can't remember if we discussed it then.

Probably aside from the affectations of Doc Holliday's presence on screen (he was a standout in the film), I think Heat was my favorite role for him. He was only a supporting character ("Chris" -- married to Ashley Judd's character, and kind of a screwup/wreck of a man who was still competent at his work as a thief), but I felt like Mann got a great performance from him for what might have been a shallow role. Otherwise it's just roles I remember from young, like Top Gun or Top Secret. I've tried to push through Willow a few times but keep quitting before the end out of boredom.

(Side note: There's a brief homage to Willow in The Green Knight that just came out, with the hanging cage at the crossroads shot.)

I though he was pretty good as Jim Morrison, but lots of people can't stand that movie.