Kingu Kurimuzon
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Hey guys don’t mind me, I thought Roddy Piper and Elvis were good actors so I would take my opinion with a grain of salt
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Random Movie Thoughts Thread
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Totenkindly
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Been kind of a rehash year with cinemas down for most of it.
Ended up watching the original Total Recall the other night, then pulled out the 2012 remake. I don't have a ton to say about the first one -- it's an enjoyable somewhat humorous late 80's action pic (heck, it's got Michael Ironside, kind of a poor man's Jack Nicholas + Ronny Cox chewing up the scenery), although the fascinating part to me now is Dean Norris as the mutant Tony (he was also in The Firm a few years later -- he's one of those guys who has always looked about twenty years older than his actual age) considering that Breaking Bad really made him a national face about twenty years later.
In rewatch, Sharon Stone was actually really great. Arnold is, well, Arnold. We all know Arnold, he's a known quantity in about 90% of this films. The other woman is forgettable and I never remember her name (Tacotin?).
Anyway, despite the campy nature of the film, the plot structure/concept is actually pretty decent in terms of Hauser & Quaid dichotomy, even if the execution remains mostly camp. The identity of the mutant leader is cool, even if the rendition looks a little outdated effects wise now. It's a campy scifi action feel good movie, in the end, esp with that ending.
Sooo... Getting to the remake. Let's all agree the Theatrical release was a disaster for many reasons, the most painful being how the studio "dumbed it down" for the faceless masses, which pleased no one. (I mean, hell, the public ate up Inception, they could handle this just fine.) In any case, we're left with The Extended Cut which is far closer to the original script and Wiseman's vision. I'm trying to watch it as its own film, not a remake, to see if that changes how I feel.
Good stuff: The sets and CGI is pretty amazing, and the world feels very immersive. The plot is on Earth so it feels more personal. the Fall is a cool scifi concept and results in social inequity that the rebels are trying to resolve. Plot devices are set up earlier in the film so you can't claim there's a "gotcha" moment later in terms of a plot point. The action sequences are cool. The tech is cool. The Extended Version is more complex and cerebral than what they released, which improves the film. It feels like the film was more thoroughly thought out and crafted.
Bad stuff: The milquetoast casting. Colin Farrell captures the confusion part well (when he starts doing stuff he didn't know he knew how to do), but he's a low-key actor in general... this is before TD Season 2. He was better in Minority Report, honestly, he had more drive. Kate Beckinsale plays both love interest (guardian wife) plus primary physical antagonist; she's got action stuff down pat but is pretty one-note emotionally. Worse casting is Jessica Biel -- no chemistry, no believability as the spy love interest, she's entirely forgettable and pulls down the film just by being in it. Why was she here? I don't even think she was a big draw at the time. (Hell, you might as well cast Bryce Dallas Howard, at least it would have been entertaining and not bland.) It's bad when John Cho's cameo crackles with more energy and dynamic than the lead cast. Also, the two best actors in the film (Cranston and Nighy) barely get any scenes -- and the only other actor worth his salt only appears (in a great cameo) in the Extended Cut and thus was never on screen. Side note: That's two Breaking Bad guys in these two films. The pal sidekick (character actor Bokeem Woodbine) also can be a scene stealer.
I was kind of pleasantly surprised running across the theatrical vs extended review that says pretty the same stuff verbatim.
Total Recall (Comparison: Theatrical Version - Extended Director's Cut) - Movie-Censorship.com
Anyway, it was a cool try to provide a more "mature/realistic" version of the story but kind of never adds up beyond the sum of its parts if getting there at all. I really want to like it more than I am able to. I think if they had cast someone besides Biel, the movie would be more watchable even with the other problems.
Ended up watching the original Total Recall the other night, then pulled out the 2012 remake. I don't have a ton to say about the first one -- it's an enjoyable somewhat humorous late 80's action pic (heck, it's got Michael Ironside, kind of a poor man's Jack Nicholas + Ronny Cox chewing up the scenery), although the fascinating part to me now is Dean Norris as the mutant Tony (he was also in The Firm a few years later -- he's one of those guys who has always looked about twenty years older than his actual age) considering that Breaking Bad really made him a national face about twenty years later.
In rewatch, Sharon Stone was actually really great. Arnold is, well, Arnold. We all know Arnold, he's a known quantity in about 90% of this films. The other woman is forgettable and I never remember her name (Tacotin?).
Anyway, despite the campy nature of the film, the plot structure/concept is actually pretty decent in terms of Hauser & Quaid dichotomy, even if the execution remains mostly camp. The identity of the mutant leader is cool, even if the rendition looks a little outdated effects wise now. It's a campy scifi action feel good movie, in the end, esp with that ending.
Sooo... Getting to the remake. Let's all agree the Theatrical release was a disaster for many reasons, the most painful being how the studio "dumbed it down" for the faceless masses, which pleased no one. (I mean, hell, the public ate up Inception, they could handle this just fine.) In any case, we're left with The Extended Cut which is far closer to the original script and Wiseman's vision. I'm trying to watch it as its own film, not a remake, to see if that changes how I feel.
Good stuff: The sets and CGI is pretty amazing, and the world feels very immersive. The plot is on Earth so it feels more personal. the Fall is a cool scifi concept and results in social inequity that the rebels are trying to resolve. Plot devices are set up earlier in the film so you can't claim there's a "gotcha" moment later in terms of a plot point. The action sequences are cool. The tech is cool. The Extended Version is more complex and cerebral than what they released, which improves the film. It feels like the film was more thoroughly thought out and crafted.
Bad stuff: The milquetoast casting. Colin Farrell captures the confusion part well (when he starts doing stuff he didn't know he knew how to do), but he's a low-key actor in general... this is before TD Season 2. He was better in Minority Report, honestly, he had more drive. Kate Beckinsale plays both love interest (guardian wife) plus primary physical antagonist; she's got action stuff down pat but is pretty one-note emotionally. Worse casting is Jessica Biel -- no chemistry, no believability as the spy love interest, she's entirely forgettable and pulls down the film just by being in it. Why was she here? I don't even think she was a big draw at the time. (Hell, you might as well cast Bryce Dallas Howard, at least it would have been entertaining and not bland.) It's bad when John Cho's cameo crackles with more energy and dynamic than the lead cast. Also, the two best actors in the film (Cranston and Nighy) barely get any scenes -- and the only other actor worth his salt only appears (in a great cameo) in the Extended Cut and thus was never on screen. Side note: That's two Breaking Bad guys in these two films. The pal sidekick (character actor Bokeem Woodbine) also can be a scene stealer.
I was kind of pleasantly surprised running across the theatrical vs extended review that says pretty the same stuff verbatim.
Total Recall (Comparison: Theatrical Version - Extended Director's Cut) - Movie-Censorship.com
Anyway, it was a cool try to provide a more "mature/realistic" version of the story but kind of never adds up beyond the sum of its parts if getting there at all. I really want to like it more than I am able to. I think if they had cast someone besides Biel, the movie would be more watchable even with the other problems.
ceecee
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I think he started writing novels although I haven't read them. I also heard he was hit by a car while biking and I was like - that's a tough old man. But as far as his acting is concerned, I think the big ones like Mississippi Burning, Unforgiven, The French Connection and The Conversation are all fantastic and some of the best movies. But I love the little stuff like The Replacements, I still feel he is the best Lex Luthor and recently I watched The Royal Tenenbaums again. He never stayed in one lane as an actor and I like that.
Peter Deadpan
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It’s based off a novel of the same name. However it fails miserably at retelling the story. Other adaptations include The Last Man on Earth (1964) starring Vincent Price and The Omega Man (1971) starring Charlton Heston. None of them work as well as the original because they can’t convey Robert Neville’s sense of despair and isolation. A movie can never truly climb into a character’s head like the written word can. Plus I Am Legend relied too heavily on CGI vampires and it’s effects , now 13 years old, have aged poorly.
You may have already known all this but I’m suffering from insomnia and bored so there you go.
Totenkindly
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Fincher's "The Game" is utterly absurd if viewed through the eyes of realism -- there's just no way this story could be told without someone dying, the authorities getting involved, and/or some other huge derail of the actual plot. Also, even the target at the end was pretty much on the money, but what are the odds of that + such a thing being survivable out of chance?
However, psychological in terms of a man being forced to reconsider his own obsessions and unhappiness -- a moralistic fable of sorts -- it's quite lovely and enjoyable. Psychologically, Van Orten's decisions follow a very predictable progression of moving from bitter dominance to slowly relinquishing control and realizing he's become his father and/or worse than his father. So the "psychological" progression is actually the plot, even if the material plot seems pretty unbelievable -- this is the kind of stuff that could be accepted in an Inception dreamworld, for example.
And the ambiance is superb, it's total Fincher. I find that with a lot of Fincher's films -- I don't necessary track with his plot choices or find them believable -- but the grit of the look and feel of the film, the atmosphere, and a willingness to go where few directors are brave enough to go seems to demarcate his films, at least for me.
In this particular case, Douglas and Unger are pretty great, and Rebhorn gets another notch in his long esteemed career of character acting.
Apparently Fincher felt they never cracked the third act. At times the plotting did seem to rely on incredible fortune, plus uncertainty of where to go next (from Mexico on). As far as the very last scene in the released film, I was happy with that -- despite a tonal shift, the actors were nuanced/measured, and it showed that a lot of the protagonist's progress wasn't for naught.
However, psychological in terms of a man being forced to reconsider his own obsessions and unhappiness -- a moralistic fable of sorts -- it's quite lovely and enjoyable. Psychologically, Van Orten's decisions follow a very predictable progression of moving from bitter dominance to slowly relinquishing control and realizing he's become his father and/or worse than his father. So the "psychological" progression is actually the plot, even if the material plot seems pretty unbelievable -- this is the kind of stuff that could be accepted in an Inception dreamworld, for example.
And the ambiance is superb, it's total Fincher. I find that with a lot of Fincher's films -- I don't necessary track with his plot choices or find them believable -- but the grit of the look and feel of the film, the atmosphere, and a willingness to go where few directors are brave enough to go seems to demarcate his films, at least for me.
In this particular case, Douglas and Unger are pretty great, and Rebhorn gets another notch in his long esteemed career of character acting.
Apparently Fincher felt they never cracked the third act. At times the plotting did seem to rely on incredible fortune, plus uncertainty of where to go next (from Mexico on). As far as the very last scene in the released film, I was happy with that -- despite a tonal shift, the actors were nuanced/measured, and it showed that a lot of the protagonist's progress wasn't for naught.
Jaguar
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Which is why one of my all-time favorite music videos was directed by Fincher: Freedom '90 by George Michael. It's Fincher's style that stands out — so much so in that video, I wondered why the hell he wasn't directing movies. Apparently he ended up wondering the same thing and did something about it.
People forget where he got his start:
And swinging back to film, one of the reasons I love Seven so much, is Fincher's style. It gets into the rooms of your brain and picks one to sit down in and put up its feet. For longer than you think.
Kingu Kurimuzon
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Does anyone else think It Follows is overrated? It’s a pretty film, good cinematography and excellent music, but I feel like it lacks in character and the plot feels a little like The Ring. It’s good at evoking nostalgia if you grew up enjoying atmospheric horror films like The Shining and Halloween I.
Totenkindly
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Is that a movie? Sounds awful, 0 stars, do not recommend viewing.
Kingu Kurimuzon
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Cherry 2000 is a pretty good movie. One of those cases of an entertaining film that 80s movie executives simply didn’t know how to market, so it ended up dying a quiet death by straight-to-VHS release.
Some of it hasn’t aged well, particularly the fashions and the whole Mad Max Dystopian pockets of civilization between areas of lawlessness scenario. On the other hand, it got more right than Back to the Future II did, but then Zemeckis stated he never wanted to make 2015 a realistic future, the point was to make it absurd and unrealistic
The aspect of singles bars staffed with lawyers who moderate hookup contracts is a little silly but it felt partially satirical in the first place and seemed to foreshadow 2010s dating and the current obsession with policies like affirmative consent. It’s telling the lead character is married to a sexbot and has basically walked away from modern dating and human connections.
It has a phenomenal score by Basil Poledouris, sounds like a mashup of old Morricobe western scores and Goldsmith’s science fiction genre scores
Tim Thomerson is great as the villain, he really chews up the scenery, dominates every scene he’s in. Apparently Thomerson started out in stand up. I pulled up some old YouTube clips and he is sort of a cross between Robin Williams and Steve Martin. Charismatic guy, he could have been a bigger star with the right projects
I read one retrospective suggesting this film paved the way for quirkier science fiction like Demolition Man and Tank Girl in the 90s. Hollywood never really did figure out how to market those types of satirical sci fi action comedies, so no surprise it’s pretty rare this type of movie gets released today
It’s not Citizen Kane but I’m glad people are rediscovering this movie now. While the themes in this film aren’t all that original, it’s still a more intelligent film than it’s given credit for.
Some of it hasn’t aged well, particularly the fashions and the whole Mad Max Dystopian pockets of civilization between areas of lawlessness scenario. On the other hand, it got more right than Back to the Future II did, but then Zemeckis stated he never wanted to make 2015 a realistic future, the point was to make it absurd and unrealistic
The aspect of singles bars staffed with lawyers who moderate hookup contracts is a little silly but it felt partially satirical in the first place and seemed to foreshadow 2010s dating and the current obsession with policies like affirmative consent. It’s telling the lead character is married to a sexbot and has basically walked away from modern dating and human connections.
It has a phenomenal score by Basil Poledouris, sounds like a mashup of old Morricobe western scores and Goldsmith’s science fiction genre scores
Tim Thomerson is great as the villain, he really chews up the scenery, dominates every scene he’s in. Apparently Thomerson started out in stand up. I pulled up some old YouTube clips and he is sort of a cross between Robin Williams and Steve Martin. Charismatic guy, he could have been a bigger star with the right projects
I read one retrospective suggesting this film paved the way for quirkier science fiction like Demolition Man and Tank Girl in the 90s. Hollywood never really did figure out how to market those types of satirical sci fi action comedies, so no surprise it’s pretty rare this type of movie gets released today
It’s not Citizen Kane but I’m glad people are rediscovering this movie now. While the themes in this film aren’t all that original, it’s still a more intelligent film than it’s given credit for.
Jaguar
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My problem was even though I thought Amy was out of her mind, I couldn't feel it. Contrast her with Alex Forrest and she couldn't come close to Close. Glenn Close. I could feel that performance. I mean seriously, no matter how many years go by I feel her when she says "I'm not going to be IGNORED, Dan." The voice. The eyes. The leaning in of the head and the turning of it. It stays with me. I felt more in that one line from Glenn Close than Pike's entire performance. Furthermore, Gone Girl got to the point where it became so absurd I thought I was watching a satire.
Totenkindly
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Close was excellent in that film. I know they settled for the sensationalized "long suffering wife protects her own" crazy ending based on test screenings. But i think the original ending would have been more evocative and true to how borderline works. It's just painful to watch. Close was so good, I worry about what she must have struggled with living in that headspace for the film.
Kingu Kurimuzon
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Hateful 8 seems to work well in a miniseries format.
Kingu Kurimuzon
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The original Mad Max is such a weird film in that series because it feels like an origins prequel that could have been made after the other films. It’s also distinct from the others in its tone and setting. It’s rare to see a film franchise where the first film is the oddball of the series. I guess First Blood jumps to mind but I can’t think of many similar examples. Maybe the first Planet of the Apes reboot (not the Tim Burton remake, which is more a close adaptation of the original novel than anything else)
Totenkindly
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I finally just decided to upgrade my DVD of Talladega Nights to Bluray, it's been a long time in coming and I just had not bothered before. I am not even into racing -- very little interest -- so I hadn't been expecting much when I first saw it years ago, but it was immediately one of the funniest films I'd ever seen + full of quotables, lines that totally just caught me off-guard. It's also chock-full of hilarious character actors, the least of all being Gary Cole.
Also, Amy Adams. Like she is SO far beyond what this kind of film calls for. Like, damn girl... that scene where she rebuilds Ricky Bobby's morale from the ground up is so over the top and yet entirely works on multiple levels, she's just capable of anything.
Trying to think of my favorite Will Farrell films -- I know he's got lots of fans for his Anchorman films, but I think this, Elf, and Megamind are my favorites with him as a central figure. He also manages to be funny without being an actual jerk (although some of his characters are jerks... but I guess he is more silly than cynical).
Also, Amy Adams. Like she is SO far beyond what this kind of film calls for. Like, damn girl... that scene where she rebuilds Ricky Bobby's morale from the ground up is so over the top and yet entirely works on multiple levels, she's just capable of anything.
Trying to think of my favorite Will Farrell films -- I know he's got lots of fans for his Anchorman films, but I think this, Elf, and Megamind are my favorites with him as a central figure. He also manages to be funny without being an actual jerk (although some of his characters are jerks... but I guess he is more silly than cynical).
Kingu Kurimuzon
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Dances With Wolves is the perfect marriage of score and imagery.
Totenkindly
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Holy hell. Been twenty years since I've watched "The Usual Suspects" and this has a 30-something year old Giancarlo Esposito in it! Without his "trademark" accent I'm so used to him with, too. What the...???? wow.
I am also generally been able to understand Finster's dialogue despite his weird delivery style (Benicio del Toro) -- did anyone else note that his eyebrows don't look right, as if they were thinned too much or darkened or something? They don't really look natural in the film.
Benicio Del Toro's Weird Accent In "The Usual Suspects" Should Have Won The Oscar For Best Foreign Film | HuffPost
But knowing the ending, I *am* enjoying watching it with that knowledge and seeing what's "really" going on in the film, since Bryan Singer does telegraph things throughout a bit. And I remember when I first watched this, I wasn't really aware of who Gabriel Byrne was either, so it's enjoyable to watch him now.
however:
EDIT: Oh yeah, the other one I noticed besides Esposito -- Clark Gregg, as a walk-in doctor role. ROFL.
I love this stuff, when I rewatch films I saw years ago and realize they had people in them who are now a lot more famous.
I am also generally been able to understand Finster's dialogue despite his weird delivery style (Benicio del Toro) -- did anyone else note that his eyebrows don't look right, as if they were thinned too much or darkened or something? They don't really look natural in the film.
Benicio Del Toro's Weird Accent In "The Usual Suspects" Should Have Won The Oscar For Best Foreign Film | HuffPost
But knowing the ending, I *am* enjoying watching it with that knowledge and seeing what's "really" going on in the film, since Bryan Singer does telegraph things throughout a bit. And I remember when I first watched this, I wasn't really aware of who Gabriel Byrne was either, so it's enjoyable to watch him now.
however:
EDIT: Oh yeah, the other one I noticed besides Esposito -- Clark Gregg, as a walk-in doctor role. ROFL.
I love this stuff, when I rewatch films I saw years ago and realize they had people in them who are now a lot more famous.
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