Random Movie Thoughts Thread

[The Cat]

Fuck it I'll put it here...It's not just a movie thought though. It's a general science fiction thought in relation to Dune, books and movies.

Paul marrying Princess Iruline was really the ultimate revenge Paul could give his father Duke Leto was killed by the Padishaw Emeperor Shaddam IV of House Corinno exacerbating a generational feud between House Atreides and House Harkonnen dating all the way back to the Butlererian Jihad and the Machine crusade-- and putting the entire economy of the Known Universe in potential peril because he was afraid of Duke Leto Atreides growing popularity among the people and the Landseraad. The spacing guild, the bene geserit and the bene tlilax obviously dont care who sits upon the throne so long as the spice flows, the Kwisatz Haderach happens, and the experiments are allowed to continue respectively. I suppose that was always Shaddam's biggest fear that an Atreides would sit upon the throne instead of him...and with the side effects of the Spice Melange...he could have sat upon it for a VERY long time. What I dont really understand...I get Count Fenring was playing the long game, and like he hitched his star to House Corino way back in his youth...and that's just how these things go...but I have to figure he could see the writing on the wall from the time Shaddam first got a bee in his bonnet about Leto Atreides in the first place.

End of geek out.

 

[Totenkindly]

The Immense Scope of Michael Mann’s 'Heat' Remains Unmatched

Almost thirty years later, nothing has touched the grandness of Michael Mann's crime drama masterpiece.

collider.com

Great review

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Fuck it I'll put it here...It's not just a movie thought though. It's a general science fiction thought in relation to Dune, books and movies.

Paul marrying Princess Iruline was really the ultimate revenge Paul could give his father Duke Leto was killed by the Padishaw Emeperor Shaddam IV of House Corinno exacerbating a generational feud between House Atreides and House Harkonnen dating all the way back to the Butlererian Jihad and the Machine crusade-- and putting the entire economy of the Known Universe in potential peril because he was afraid of Duke Leto Atreides growing popularity among the people and the Landseraad. The spacing guild, the bene geserit and the bene tlilax obviously dont care who sits upon the throne so long as the spice flows, the Kwisatz Haderach happens, and the experiments are allowed to continue respectively. I suppose that was always Shaddam's biggest fear that an Atreides would sit upon the throne instead of him...and with the side effects of the Spice Melange...he could have sat upon it for a VERY long time. What I dont really understand...I get Count Fenring was playing the long game, and like he hitched his star to House Corino way back in his youth...and that's just how these things go...but I have to figure he could see the writing on the wall from the time Shaddam first got a bee in his bonnet about Leto Atreides in the first place.

End of geek out.

Why do you think he could see the writing on the wall? Is it established that he had powers of prescience as well?

 

[The Cat]

Why do you think he could see the writing on the wall? Is it established that he had powers of prescience as well?

Which he do you mean?

 

[The Cat]

Count Hasimir Fenring...one of my favorite characters in science fiction...From Dune Fandom to succinctly save on the background for those who may not know more concise than I would describe:

"Count Hasimir Fenring (10133 AG - 10225 AG) was a renowned assassin and Mentat political tactician who was one of the deadliest fighters in the Corrino Imperium. Fenring was also genetic eunuch and a failed Kwisatz Haderach. A distaff cousin of House Corrino, all accounts agreed that Fenring was the closest friend Emperor Shaddam IV possessed. The Imperial chores carried out by Count Fenring included that of Imperial Agent on Arrakis during the Harkonnen regime there and later Siridar-Absentia of Caladan. He joined Shaddam IV in retirement on Salusa Secundus." <---- Fandomsite

In my estimation...Fenring couldn't help but see the writing on the wall. He was after all a part of the breeding program and was on deck to be the Kwisatz Haderach...(This is when they started trying to produce the Kwisatz Haderach by sending the Reverend Mother Gaius Hellen Moheim to force Baron Harkonnen to give them a daughter who would bear the daughter to Duke Leto, and that child would be paired with Feyd Routha Harkonnen, produced the Kwisatz Haderach Fenring was supposed to be, AND stop the bloodfued. But Fenring was a genetic eunuch so he was nixed from the program. Hasimir kept Shaddam from making BAD decisions after providing the way for Shaddam to take the throne in the first place by assisting the young would be emperor's siblings and enduringly aged father in finding their peace in the hereafter. Further more...he was written as being truly in love with his wife, a bene geserrit "witch" and they seemingly apart from Paul and Chani and Leto and Jessica, were the only couple in the series actually in love with each other. So he was never without the inside line from several powers around the throne.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Count Hasimir Fenring...one of my favorite characters in science fiction...From Dune Fandom to succinctly save on the background for those who may not know more concise than I would describe:

"Count Hasimir Fenring (10133 AG - 10225 AG) was a renowned assassin and Mentat political tactician who was one of the deadliest fighters in the Corrino Imperium. Fenring was also genetic eunuch and a failed Kwisatz Haderach. A distaff cousin of House Corrino, all accounts agreed that Fenring was the closest friend Emperor Shaddam IV possessed. The Imperial chores carried out by Count Fenring included that of Imperial Agent on Arrakis during the Harkonnen regime there and later Siridar-Absentia of Caladan. He joined Shaddam IV in retirement on Salusa Secundus." <---- Fandomsite

In my estimation...Fenring couldn't help but see the writing on the wall. He was after all a part of the breeding program and was on deck to be the Kwisatz Haderach...(This is when they started trying to produce the Kwisatz Haderach by sending the Reverend Mother Gaius Hellen Moheim to force Baron Harkonnen to give them a daughter who would bear the daughter to Duke Leto, and that child would be paired with Feyd Routha Harkonnen, produced the Kwisatz Haderach Fenring was supposed to be, AND stop the bloodfued. But Fenring was a genetic eunuch so he was nixed from the program. Hasimir kept Shaddam from making BAD decisions after providing the way for Shaddam to take the throne in the first place by assisting the young would be emperor's siblings and enduringly aged father in finding their peace in the hereafter. Further more...he was written as being truly in love with his wife, a bene geserrit "witch" and they seemingly apart from Paul and Chani and Leto and Jessica, were the only couple in the series actually in love with each other. So he was never without the inside line from several powers around the throne.

Right... I knew he was a failed Kwisatz Haderach, but did that actually give him insight into the real Kwisatz Haderach?

 

[The Cat]

Right... I knew he was a failed Kwisatz Haderach, but did that actually give him insight into the real Kwisatz Haderach?

I...think so...to an extent. If from no other perspective apart from being a prototype built under the same system, and yet also not being what he was "supposed" to be. Ultimately I think Fenring was a true believer in the Bene Gesserit program. Hasimir is portrayed in the books at least, as one of the only men in the galaxy who doesn't fear the sisterhood or hold them in secret contempt. He seems to willingly do whatever they ask without having to be ordered, threatened, or manipulated. I dont know if that qualifies as priscience or simple keen situational awarness knowing what side his bread is buttered on and who signs the checks in the Imperium. IIrc he had some bene gesserit training before he maried his wife, and during their marriage. He was a mentant also in a similar fashion to the first ghola duncan idaho(at that time called Hoyt) I know the Fenrings were pretty much allowed to still do whatever they wanted after Paul begame Emperor. I think this was in part because they helped Jessica keep Paul alive by warning her about what was about to happen on Arrakis.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I...think so...to an extent. If from no other perspective apart from being a prototype built under the same system, and yet also not being what he was "supposed" to be. Ultimately I think Fenring was a true believer in the Bene Gesserit program. Hasimir is portrayed in the books at least, as one of the only men in the galaxy who doesn't fear the sisterhood or hold them in secret contempt. He seems to willingly do whatever they ask without having to be ordered, threatened, or manipulated. I dont know if that qualifies as priscience or simple keen situational awarness knowing what side his bread is buttered on and who signs the checks in the Imperium. IIrc he had some bene gesserit training before he maried his wife, and during their marriage. He was a mentant also in a similar fashion to the first ghola duncan idaho(at that time called Hoyt) I know the Fenrings were pretty much allowed to still do whatever they wanted after Paul begame Emperor. I think this was in part because they helped Jessica keep Paul alive by warning her about what was about to happen on Arrakis.

Is there anything about him in those prequel books? His backstory is fairly interesting so I always thought it odd that we don't see him do much.

 

[The Cat]

Is there anything about him in those prequel books? His backstory is fairly interesting so I always thought it odd that we don't see him do much.

oh my god yes. he's one of the main characters. Start with Dune: House Atreides. Its the first of the prequel books. Unless you want to go back to the MAchine crusade WAAAY back.

 

[Totenkindly]

Watched Prey this afternoon on Hulu. It's pretty stripped down like the original Predator so I didn't get a ton of emotional engagement but it's pretty true to its roots/beats and has some interesting action sequences in it. While it still feels like a predator film, it involves the predator early so it's more of a character. (I mean, the gig is up, as opposed to the first film; everyone knows what the predators do and what they want, so...?) Its tech is also older and less advanced, which gives its own culture a sense of time.

The film also centers the Comanche people in terms of humans shown, so that they speak their language for a brief period before shifting into English for the sake of the audience -- and then it's the French whose language we can't understand and who seem like the aliens in terms of behavior and communication.

I mean, I wasn't expecting a ton, but it's kind of cool at times to watch, easy to track what people want, and the last five minutes (esp when Naru offers her victory cry and reaps the praise she has earned) is cool.

 

[Totenkindly]

Watched Lightyear. Kind of a film that no one asked for and many years too late, so it ends up feeling like it's trying to just make money off Disney IPs. ("Hey, did we leave money on the table?")

• It's most unmemorable, kind of like a clone of a Pixar movie. It has one interesting twist at mid-point -- and yet the twist kind of makes the film less memorable in a sense, compared to what Toy Story laid down.
• This is the film that Andy watched that made him want Buzz Lightyear toys? He was six and this movie with the pacing feels more aimed at older kids and parents. I think Galaxy Quest was more like a movie you want the toys from, while this was kinda -- eh. It didn't really work.
• Finally had some meaningful moments in the last third, and yet even if they could be touching at times, they again felt like ground Pixar had tackled before (and better).
• Animation was decent.
• I thought the cat would be annoying but ended up being somewhat endearing. Damn cat.
• I dunno. This is kinda in the lower middle of the Pixar pack. That plus its lack of timeliness could explain why it didn't do well in the box office.
• I still gotta say, I don't really know why Disney recast the Buzz role aside from political friction, and I don't have any allegiance to right-wing. I guess Evans sounds younger, and they could excuse it as "this is a film of the human Buzz" so they aren't really the same character, but if Tim Allen was viewed better on social media, maybe they wouldn't have cared.

 

[Totenkindly]

 

[The Cat]

A joke?

 

[Totenkindly]

A joke?

No, I am pretty sure this is FER REALZ.

Winnie the Pooh is now public domain (the book version, not the Disney version), so.... yeah.

The Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey trailer has public domain written all over it

The Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey trailer has public domain written all over it

www.avclub.com

 

[The Cat]

No, I am pretty sure this is FER REALZ.

Winnie the Pooh is now public domain (the book version, not the Disney version), so.... yeah.

The Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey trailer has public domain written all over it

The Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey trailer has public domain written all over it

www.avclub.com

There must be some kinda way outta here. There's too much confusion here. I can't get no relief.​

 

[Tomb1]

I got bored by Wife-like. It was too Movie-like.

 

[Totenkindly]

 

[Totenkindly]

eldest never watched the extended versions of the Hobbit films so we watched the first one today.

One of the extra scenes (I am pretty sure it wasn't in the Theater cut) is Elrond, Galadriel, Saruman, and Gandalf getting together to talk at Rivendell. Which amused me because I was thinking about how pissed Saruman must be in that scene (and he talks like he has a stick up his ass, he's always so difficult) -- as I was reminded while watching that he's the only guy in the room without a Ring of Power. Can he really not know where the other three are? He's like a bloodhound on the scent of the One Ring and it's like his consuming passion, there's no way I can imagine where he can't feel the presence of the Three all around him. I think he always resented Gandalf because Cirdan gave him the Ring of Fire.

Just thought it was funny. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Maybe he consoled himself with the thought of finding the One and then "he'd show all those pompous Elf Ring fools how incapable they all are" BWA HA HA HA HA!

 

[The Cat]

eldest never watched the extended versions of the Hobbit films so we watched the first one today.

One of the extra scenes (I am pretty sure it wasn't in the Theater cut) is Elrond, Galadriel, Saruman, and Gandalf getting together to talk at Rivendell. Which amused me because I was thinking about how pissed Saruman must be in that room (and he talks like he has a stick up his ass, he's always so difficult) -- as I was reminded while watching that he's the only guy in the room without a Ring of Power. Can he really not know where the other three are? He's like a bloodhound on the scent of the One Ring and it's like his consuming passion, there's no way I can imagine where he can't feel the presence of the Three all around him. I think he always resented Gandalf because Cirdan gave him the Ring of Fire.

Just thought it was funny. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Maybe he consoled himself with the thought of finding the One and then "he'd show all those pompous Elf Ring fools how incapable they all are" BWA HA HA HA HA!

i havent seen those yet, but id really like to

 

[Totenkindly]

i havent seen those yet, but id really like to

I think they get more of a bad rap than they deserve. Yes, there's stuff I could do without and/or is kind of dumb (some of the added material), but if one can just accept it for what it is, there's some nice stuff. I think it .helps greatly that Thorin and Bilbo were really well cast.

I mean, I don't consider them 10/10 films and there are things i make fun of (like "Superhero Legolas" -- this guy just gets more powerful as more films come out, it's hilariously terrible but... still hilarious), but the parts I like, I really like. I am really grateful they dealt with the Arkenstone finally on screen and the scene at the gate, it's one of my favorites in the book.

I really also felt with the riddle game sequence today a multitude of emotions about Smeagol -- on edge/creeped out but also sad because his ruination from the Ring is depicted so well here, especially put face to face with Bilbo since they are both hobbit stock. He's pathetic in a way that generates both disgust and deep pathos, and I felt terrible for him. And Bilbo could have been heading right for the same precipice.

Also, Hugo Weaving really reined it in as Elrond this time. He's so damned aggressive in the LotR films, like he just wants to kill everything bad he sees with his bare hands. So realistically I know Weaving was probably told to "pull it back" but if you look at it within the story, you're left wondering what pissed him off so much between the Hobbit story and LotR to set him such on edge.