Cinema and Movie Thread: I like to remember things my own way.

[Sarex]

https://deadline.com/2023/02/gladiator-2-release-date-1235249039/

[uuuhhii]

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sound like a decent plan for dc movie

pretty sure executive will axe it again when a few movie lose money again

[Gromnir]

58 minutes ago, uuuhhii said:

sound like a decent plan for dc movie

pretty sure executive will axe it again when a few movie lose money again

am thinking the executives get a bad rap. like it or not, aaa hollywood movies is extreme expensive to make and distribute. directors and actors is able to wax rhapsodic 'bout vision and storytelling, but there is a whole lotta people counting on the success o' the next dc movie and it is reasonable if possible self-defeating to go with safe v. auteur when folks like gunn is committing hundred o' millions o' dollars o' studio money to multiple projects.

superhero movies has hit an awkward stage as fans expect all the big budget trappings from the next film or project, but they is clear getting tired o' seeing slight variations o' similar content being repackaged. to get audiences excited 'bout superheroes, gunn and others gotta do something different, but different is inherent risky.

am giving warner brothers credit for brining in gunn 'cause the executives appear to recognize they cannot keep playing it safe with same old formulas. at the same time, as far as am able to tell, is not as if warner has decided to slash budgets for these films, so they has hardly avoided the spectre o' their films being too big to be allowed to fail. 

so, how many coin tosses does gunn get? the executives is the folks who is paid to be the voice o' reason while fans and directors may succumb to the gambler's fallacy. at what point is a "few" movies losing money untenable? the gambler fallacy is even less acceptable for aaa hollywood movies then vegas addicts 'cause movie fails is the results o' choices and not randomness. the best predictor o' future fail is past fail and holding out hope that the stars will align for the next DC film in spite o' past film performance is stoopid. going all in on james gunn, giving him free reign to fail over and over, is not gonna happen, period. 

like it or not, movie making is a biz. making DC or Marvel movies in 2023 is challenging 'cause the films need be spectacles but fans is tired o' the formulas which has been safe and effective for better than a decade. the executives is underappreciated for making the hard choices fans and artists is likely to abhor. 

we want gunn to succeed, but am not sure the current model allows for multiple fails.

HA! Good Fun! 

[Hurlshort]

Finally sat down and watched The Banshees of Inisherin. I had just finished a rough bike ride, and I had a nice pint of stout for the occasion. That was the right way to do this type of movie, as it was slow and fit well with my slow sipping stout. 

 

[Zoraptor]

I watched the new Avatar last week. First movie I've actually seen in a theatre since, uh, The Force Awakens? I think.

It was OK; I wouldn't go out of my way to see it again but neither would I actively avoid it. Obviously overlong, obviously formulaic, obviously preachy and at times very, very obviously had bits stitched together from half a dozen other (mostly but not all James Cameron; he obviously loved Whale Rider, and not just because he cast Cliff Curtis in this movie) movies but I expected most of that and for what it was it was done well. Replete with plot holes (hello- or goodbye- disappearing green navi in final battle) but I was kind of expecting that too. My nephews seemed to really enjoy it though, and they're a lot closer to the target audience than I am.

Load of young kids in the theatre and I was kind of surprised only one skipped out on one particular scene.

[Sarex]

55 minutes ago, Zoraptor said:

I watched the new Avatar last week. First movie I've actually seen in a theatre since, uh, The Force Awakens? I think.

It was OK; I wouldn't go out of my way to see it again but neither would I actively avoid it. Obviously overlong, obviously formulaic, obviously preachy and at times very, very obviously had bits stitched together from half a dozen other (mostly but not all James Cameron; he obviously loved Whale Rider, and not just because he cast Cliff Curtis in this movie) movies but I expected most of that and for what it was it was done well. Replete with plot holes (hello- or goodbye- disappearing green navi in final battle) but I was kind of expecting that too. My nephews seemed to really enjoy it though, and they're a lot closer to the target audience than I am.

Load of young kids in the theatre and I was kind of surprised only one skipped out on one particular scene.

So pretty much same as the original.

[Zoraptor]

I actually haven't seen the original so cannot compare. Sometimes feel like I'm the only person on the planet who hasn't.

[Bartimaeus]

7 minutes ago, Zoraptor said:

I actually haven't seen the original so cannot compare. Sometimes feel like I'm the only person on the planet who hasn't.

Technically, it's a little bit of a lie, because I've seen like the first ten minutes of Avatar. It came on TV back when I had cable and I was like "oh cool, Sigourney Weaver!". Then the blue people showed up and I was immediately done, not wanting to projectile vomit and all.

[majestic]

13 minutes ago, Bartimaeus said:

Technically, it's a little bit of a lie, because I've seen like the first ten minutes of Avatar. It came on TV back when I had cable and I was like "oh cool, Sigourney Weaver!". Then the blue people showed up and I was immediately done, not wanting to projectile vomit and all.

Well, if you have seen Pocahontas or Dances with Wolves then... you've seen Avatar, by far and large.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

I've seen Avatar but I can't remember it. Something about unobtanium and blue cat people fighting the US army and/or evil megacorp.

[Bartimaeus]

1 hour ago, majestic said:

Well, if you have seen Pocahontas or Dances with Wolves then... you've seen Avatar, by far and large.

I've unfortunately seen both of those. Kevin Costner is the worst.

Edited February 6, 2023 by Bartimaeus

[Keyrock]

15 hours ago, majestic said:

Well, if you have seen Pocahontas or Dances with Wolves then... you've seen Avatar, by far and large.

I saw Dances With Wolves decades ago. I couldn't tell you much about it because I was largely comatose for the viewing, on account of the movie being 427 hours long and boring as ****. I vaguely remember a scene where Kevin Costner is teaching the natives about coffee. That's all I remember. It's probably for the best 

[Lexx]

Loved the movie, watched it a couple times. Have the 4+ hours special something-something edition. I always hated when the movie ended, because I wanted to know how the story continues.

[Hurlshort]

I haven't watched Dances with Wolves in 20 years, but I remember enjoying it. Honestly all of those Kevin Costner vehicles are slow and plodding, but they typically have great scenery and the kind of pace that makes them perfect to have on in the background.

Although the best part of Waterworld is the stage show that it spawned at Universal Studios. That thing is phenomenal. 

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Twin Peaks: The Return.

David Lynch said it was an 18 hour movie, so I'm posting about it here.

So this is he second time I've seen this, and it's gotten better for me. Much better. If the original Twin Peaks can be seen as a vehicle for surrealism and an examination of the hidden nightmares found in America's idealized projection of itself wrapped up in a satire of soap operas and mystery series, then The Return is takes that, almost entirely peels the wrapping off, and launches in to some very strange territory. Even by Lynch standards it's a very weird movie with....you know what just watch it for yourself. It feels impossible to spoil because like the anime JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, what happens is so off the wall that accurately describing what happens would be taken by most folks as a joke. Yuge reccomend, this is a masterpiece.

[LadyCrimson]

I liked Dances with Wolves a lot when I saw it in the theater, although it felt a little too long back in an era where 3hr films were not practically the norm of every film trying to be "epic". My memory is I mostly liked Graham Greene. And the cinematography. And Two-Socks. I think today I would find it a bit dull. Costner is decent/good in the right roles but he is kind of ... generic? bland? overall. Or needs strong supporting/co-lead actors to bounce from.

The ones with Costner as lead that I liked most would be:
No Way Out
The Untouchables (but mostly for Connery)
Field of Dreams
A Perfect World (possible his best acting role, maybe...)
Open Range (Robert Duvall is a strong pairing)
The Highwaymen

Edited February 8, 2023 by LadyCrimson

[Bartimaeus]

Her (2013). If you've seen Blade Runner 2049...

Spoiler

In that film, there's a bit of a subplot going on throughout the film about the AI companion and her desperate attempts to be "real" to Ryan Gosling. Now personally, I kind of hated Blade Runner 2049, so even though it's an idea that interested me owing to a number of sci-fi books I read as a child that had variations on the idea, the film as a whole just didn't work for me so it made no impact...but Her is like if you took just that subplot and ran wild with it while completely reframing everything around and about it. I thought it was interesting, a little creepy, pretty sad, but also kind of pure and hopeful as well. It's a weird movie that makes for some complicated thoughts and feelings. Between this and Banshees on Inisherin, not too shabby a start for movie-watching in 2023.

In other news, I didn't see Joaquin Phoenix as being a creepy psychopath in a film for the first time since...well, ever. Admittedly, I've only seen about 4 Joaquin Pheonix films, so it's not the biggest sample size.

On 2/7/2023 at 6:19 PM, LadyCrimson said:

The Untouchables (but mostly for Connery)

I saw this one some years ago and thought it was fine-ish, and I can truly honestly say that I have zero memory of Kevin Costner even being in that film.

I guess he's the main character. Well, I guess that's just proof on how utterly unremarkable he is to me, .

Edited February 9, 2023 by Bartimaeus

[Sarex]

Babylon (2022). Not bad, it would've even been great for me had they not cast Margot Robbie. There is something that just doesn't work for me with her, so I kind of zoned out with her part.

[Bartimaeus]

Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (2021). Growing up, I watched quite a bit of Anthony Bourdain because my mom followed most of his shows, though I was more familiar with No Reservations than Parts Unknown. Anyways, it was a nice documentary covering some of his humble beginnings as a chef, the way he and his perspective on life and people changed as he travelled the world and saw how the lowest rungs of society had to live and yet would still find ways to make it work and be happy - in a fairly direct comparison to Anthony being able to be anywhere he'd like whenever he wanted, not to mention all the wealth and privilege...and yet his perplexing inability to ever be content and happy. It's frustrating to see someone who just can't...ever let themselves appreciate what they have, but I suppose that's part of the human condition. The documentary provides a little bit of closure on his life, and I appreciated that it ended not with people just being sad and weepy about the whole thing, but also showed at least a little measure of anger as well: the final moment of the film is one of his best and lifelong friends destroying a beautiful public mural of the man, and why not? Those of us who live with the fallout, both public and personal, of a suicide have feelings about the whole thing, too. Being angry, being sad, feeling guilt, maybe even being relieved about it are all equally valid.

Edited February 10, 2023 by Bartimaeus
unbutchered a few sentences

[Raithe]

Just in case anyone needed the reminder...

 

[uuuhhii]

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how many of these movie they are going to make

[Chairchucker]

4 hours ago, uuuhhii said:

how many of these movie they are going to make

I'm sure they'll stop as soon as they stop making money.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

The Elephant Man (1980)

The first David Lynch film I saw was Lost Highway. It was before I really followed directors and hadn't seen much besides tentpole stuff at theaters, b-movies rented for cheap from blockbuster, or stuff that was on tv. My memory is a bit fuzzy and I quite honestly don't remember much from my teenage years (thank god) so I can't place when I saw it...... but I think it was either on IFC or the Sundance channel. I'm not sure if I recorded it by mistake or by intention, but whatever the case it made a huge impression and did somewhat change my views on movies. I really want to see it again but the only legal way to watch it would be to get a bluray for $40 which I'd need a player for to boot. Maybe soon.

Anyways The Elephant Man is probably the furthest Lynch film of from Lost Highway, perhaps only beaten in that regard by the Disney film The Straight Story. Aside from a handful of dream sequences, the movie is entirely straightforward and almost feels like it could fit in with some of the old Hollywood black and white movies. Like Eraserhead, the sound is a constant and almost unnoticed companion that fills you with unease and really helps to elevate the film. I'll admit that the ending brought tears to my eyes, made all the more potent by the heavy foreshadowing that makes it seem like a slow moving crash.

Spoiler

I read John's suicide as an acceptance of his impending death and decision to die as a man. It says a lot about John Hurt's talent that behind that makeup he managed to convey such pain and dignity. 

Beautiful film.

[Bartimaeus]

if I ever enjoy a David Lynch film even a tiny bit, I will make sure that you're the first to know, KP

[Zoraptor]

The Elephant Man is one of the very, very few films which I absolutely unreservedly loved. And the thing is, if you described it to me I would have bet pretty much anything that I'd hate it because it really ought to be pretentious, maudlin, and preachy.

To be fair, it probably is all three but it's so well done I really couldn't care less.