Cinema and Movie Thread: coming at you at 24fps

[Keyrock]

When are we going to get the Peter Jackson high frame rate version of the thread title?

[Amentep]

8 minutes ago, Keyrock said:

When are we going to get the Peter Jackson high frame rate version of the thread title?

We're probably just going to get motion smoothing.

13 minutes ago, Bartimaeus said:

Whoops, I didn't really mean to imply B movies are necessarily lacking in either talent/vision...that last line/mention of them was more just meaning that when you go on and spelunker your way through old B movies, it's going to be an unfortunately common occurrence that you get films that don't quite feel complete and/or totally cohesive in one way or another - whether it's the fault of some particular failing of creative vision at the hands of the director/writer, maybe not having quite the ideal actors for the parts, not having the budget to get the right locations, sets, and props, or something else. And if they do manage all that in spite of their limitations, they're probably pretty notable cult classics. Some people are really good at taking films completely at face value and just riding with them enjoying them for what they are no matter what issues they may have, but I'm really, uh, not that kind of person, which is why I tend to have trouble with B movies. Little things that other people don't even notice, wouldn't even think as worth mentioning because they don't impact their enjoyment of the film, can take me right out of something with little to no chance of recovering...bad framing undercutting characters and/or what I think should be core themes for the sake of exploitation being a prime example.

Out of lost artifacts that we happen to chance upon and which still exist by a great many circumstances of pure fortune, it doesn't seem particularly unlikely that more advanced examples of certain bits of technology were made before being lost. How much more advanced, probably not exceptionally if none of it ever became widespread and iterated upon enough to not be lost in the first place, or at least that's what I would think.

I spelunk around B to Z grade films all the time, and stinkers as stinky as "Blood Mummy" are rare, but I also have a high tolerance for a lot of the things that would utterly break a film for you.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Contempt (1963)

I did a @Bartimaeus and broke my brain on this one. The cut I watched on Criterion (recently remastered I think) did this thing where when the score would kick in and it was just exceedingly loud and distracting. I think if it wasn't for that I'd have rated the movie as being great, and there are indeed some fantastic shots and compositions, but the score just bursting out was like driving a pickaxe through my ear. 

Crimes of Passion (1984)

This got sold to me as being very wild, and in many ways it was. But again there was one aspect I didn't like that really sunk it for me and that was the China Blue persona being played as.....I dunno a sassy girlboss when dealing with the tricks. Tonally it just reminded me of some Joss Whedon stuff, which I have grown to absolutely despise. I think that if it was just delivered a little differently or if there were more focus on Joana Crane than that'd be much better.

[Bartimaeus]

9 hours ago, PK htiw klaw eriF said:

Crimes of Passion (1984)

This got sold to me as being very wild, and in many ways it was. But again there was one aspect I didn't like that really sunk it for me and that was the China Blue persona being played as.....I dunno a sassy girlboss when dealing with the tricks. Tonally it just reminded me of some Joss Whedon stuff, which I have grown to absolutely despise. I think that if it was just delivered a little differently or if there were more focus on Joana Crane than that'd be much better.

I really didn't think Crimes of Passion was nearly as crazy as its billing seemed to suggest. I mean, okay, it's a little crazy, but I guess it felt a little too unserious for me to do anything but kind of laugh good-naturedly at where it went. I think a darker and more grounded/considered approach focused on Joana, as you said, instead of the boring guy with his marital problems could've had me in love with the film instead. Still, you can do a lot worse than Crimes of Passion.

9 hours ago, Amentep said:

I spelunk around B to Z grade films all the time, and stinkers as stinky as "Blood Mummy" are rare, but I also have a high tolerance for a lot of the things that would utterly break a film for you.

Man, why does my browser tell me "spelunk" isn't a word? I initially wrote it that way but I got the red underline and thought "oh, I guess the verb version is also spelunker...yeah, spelunker your way through something, I guess that sounds right". Yeah, I wish I could be a lot more tolerant, it'd make my life much easier.

9 hours ago, PK htiw klaw eriF said:

Contempt (1963)

I did a @Bartimaeus and broke my brain on this one. The cut I watched on Criterion (recently remastered I think) did this thing where when the score would kick in and it was just exceedingly loud and distracting. I think if it wasn't for that I'd have rated the movie as being great, and there are indeed some fantastic shots and compositions, but the score just bursting out was like driving a pickaxe through my ear. 

Oh boy, I just checked and that movie is literally already on my to-watch list. I don't feel so good...especially because it's a damned French film and I am just growing to loathe French cinema the more I experience it. Out of like the 25 French films I've seen throughout the course of my life, I think I've liked exactly one while disliking or outright hating the rest, so I don't really know why I keep bloody trying. Oh lord, it's a Godard film too...I have not had a good time with Godard films.

Edited January 4 by Bartimaeus

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

24 minutes ago, Bartimaeus said:

Oh boy, I just checked and that movie is literally already on my to-watch list. I don't feel so good...especially because it's a damned French film and I am just growing to loathe French cinema the more I experience it. Out of like the 25 French films I've seen throughout the course of my life, I think I've liked exactly one while disliking or outright hating the rest, so I don't really know why I keep bloody trying. Oh lord, it's a Godard film too...I have not had a good time with Godard films.

I think that issue with the score alone drug the film down. I found the whole movie on youtube and tried to locate it but didn't notice it as much, but it could be that the soundbar on my tv is better than my speakers or that the experience is different when you're focused on the film completely instead of listening to it while you ****post and do paperwork.

But as it digests in my head....for a film with copious shots of Bardot's nude body and implied sexual betrayal I have to say I found the whole film very unsexy. Like based solely on the performances I do not believe that Paul ever really desires Camille either sexually or romantically while the horny producers flirtations with Francesca and Camille feel empty. I don't think the film would necessarily be better if they did a lot of simulated sex but on the whole I felt a lack of passion.

24 minutes ago, Bartimaeus said:

I really didn't think Crimes of Passion was nearly as crazy as its billing seemed to suggest. I mean, okay, it's a little crazy, but I guess it felt a little too unserious for me to do anything but kind of laugh good-naturedly at where it went. I think a darker and more grounded/considered approach focused on Joana, as you said, instead of the boring guy with his marital problems could've had me in love with the film instead. Still, you can do a lot worse than Crimes of Passion.

I think I have watched too much anime to really be surprised by supposedly crazy films. You think a horny stalker playing with sex toys is weird? I have seen undead Jack the Ripper jump out of a horse.

But yeah, the divorced dad should have been a side character and more attention should have been paid to Joana and to a lesser extent Shayne. I get the feeling that we never know Joana, we see her China Blue persona but Joana herself is still a mystery at the end of the film, which is a shame.

[Bartimaeus]

Ella Cinders (1926).

Silent films were a mistake. A painfully mediocre variation of the Cinderella tale, except retrofitted for Hollywood and the main character going off and working her way up to becoming a starlet. It's pretty bad, don't watch it. Because I just know everyone here is waiting with bated breath for my silent film recommendations.

It (1927).

You know what, silent films can be alright. The main actress, Clara Bow, hard carried what would've otherwise been a rather stuffy and pedestrian 1920s comedy with her very wacky and energetic performance of a penniless store clerk trying everything to ascend the social ladder to get the guy she wants before unleashing her scorn upon him when he rejects her over a misunderstanding, and I found myself actually laughing quite a bit because of her. For a 1920s comedy, that's frankly a bit of a marvel.

Speaking of and apropos to silent films, Amentep at this exact moment happens to be currently rocking my very favorite silent film actress and to whom the quote in my signature can be attributed to - not to mention she's undoubtedly the reason I continue to check out any silent films at all, as my experiences of the medium before seeing Louise Brook's films I had found to all be quite miserable. Not that that's much of a surprise, seeing as I usually have very little taste for the painfully overwrought impressionist school of acting. Being able to convey what is supposed to be going on while also coming across as perfectly natural seems to have been a very difficult craft to master in the burgeoning silent era.

Edited January 6 by Bartimaeus

[Keyrock]

It can enjoy a silent movie, so long as it has Buster Keaton in it.

[LadyCrimson]

Since it was on netflix now, I watched Equalizer 3. I liked the non-US setting/filmwork, and it started off ok, but by the end I realized this character has become more of a shadowy boogeyman, even if on the side of "good", vs. simply a man with extra special skills. Maybe this is in part to hide old-actor can't really do moves but there could be better ways to handle that. Denzel is still Denzel but the movie was meh.

Right now I'm in the middle of watching Society of Snow (also Netflix), which I think is a Spanish film re: that '72 Andes plane crash. It's already far better than the US film Alive (I did like that movie all right for the time, but). 

Edited January 6 by LadyCrimson

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

The Cat From Outer Space (1978)

It's a Disney movie from the 70s, the wacky name was the best part of it.

The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976)

Jesus ****ing christ, this is incredible. David Bowie as an alien, 70s surrealist scifi, TV as an addiction, incredible music, and perhaps the greatest sex scene to have ever been shot (I won't spoil it, but it is an incredible fake out). I am so happy I could scream. Absolutely incredible.

[Amentep]

I know I've seen The Cat from Outer Space, but can't remember if I saw it at a drive-in or not.

[Bartimaeus]

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023).

Its uninspired title closely matches how uninspired the film itself is. There aren't very many stop-motion productions that have a budget anymore, you can't be wasting them on something as half-baked as this.

[Amentep]

30 minutes ago, Bartimaeus said:

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023).

Its uninspired title closely matches how uninspired the film itself is. There aren't very many stop-motion productions that have a budget anymore, you can't be wasting them on something as half-baked as this.

What did you think of the original film?

[Bartimaeus]

2 minutes ago, Amentep said:

What did you think of the original film?

Big fan of the original film, watched it and the Wallace & Gromits many times when I was young, still really like or love them even re-visiting them as an adult. Apparently, they're releasing a new W&G film in 2024, hopefully it's more sound than this was. The nature of Chicken Run was always going to make it tough for worthy sequel adaptations, whereas that's not really the case with W&G...plus, it'll probably help with the original creator and director returning for it.

[LadyCrimson]

While it was ok for what it was/trying to be/the times etc, the only reason to watch Cat From Outer Space was the cute kitty, during a time before YouTube.

That Society of the Snow film was pretty good. Took a few liberties at the end re: the real event, but minor. It's a lot less over-dramatic than most, although there are bits. Occasionally the scene switch edits felt a bit abrupt. One of the more interesting things the film did was tell most of it more from the perspective (he does all the VO narrating as well) from one of the young men who did not actually survive, vs. the two who hiked out/brought rescue. I'd give it something like 6.5-7/10 perhaps, if you like based on real disaster movies.

[Agiel]

This randomly showed up in my Youtube feed but I have to confess that this has insanely good animation for something that apparently had a 7.5 million Euro budget. 

Just a crying shame that it bombed. 

Movie is called "Dofus – Book 1: Julith".

Edited January 10 by Agiel

[Gromnir]

1 hour ago, Agiel said:

This randomly showed up in my Youtube feed but I have to confess that this has insanely good animation for something that apparently had a 7.5 million Euro budget. 

Just a crying shame that it apparently bombed. 

Movie is called "Dofus – Book 1: Julith".

will check it out... but isn't a french person reaching for a bottle of wine to solve a problem kinda cliché ? just sayin'.

HA! Good Fun!

[Amentep]

Dofus is based on a french video game series (including the games Dofus and Wakfu).  There's also a tv animated series Dofus: Aux trésors de Kerubim and Wakfu and some Wakfu OAVs.  The movie Dofus, livre 1: Julith I think suffered in France based on its release date if newspapers at the time are to be believed.  The lack of box-office success caused them to drop the 2 planned sequel Dofus films and a Wakfu film

Anakma (the game, publishing and animation company) have made some other movies since this, though.  They were part of a co-production for Netflix' Mutafukaz aka MFKZ and did a film called Princesse Dragon. Also did some other animated and live action series/shorts.

[Bartimaeus]

Run Lola Run (1998).

Me from the opening scene until pretty much the end:

One of the most torturous film experiences I've had...so far, and sadly not in a good way. Just trying to follow the wretched over-stylized camera work, visual effects, and editing that started within the very first scene made me literally physically ill, and it kind of snowballed out of control straight down into hell from there for various other reasons. That's gonna be a no from me, dog.

Edited January 18 by Bartimaeus

[Keyrock]

The Prophecy 2 (1998) - The war of angels continues. This takes place 4 years after the events of the first movie and begins with Lucifer tossing Gabriel out of hell. This time the opposing angelic forces are battling over a Nephilim yet to be born. It's a much faster paced movie than the first and an easier watch if you're averse to slow moving psychological drama, definitely more of a crowd-pleaser. It's sort of the Aliens to the first movie's Alien. I'd say I like the first movie better overall, but this was still rather enjoyable. Christopher Walken is delightful, as always, reprising his role as the main antagonist Gabriel. I never tire of the running gag that he doesn't understand how modern human machinery works and needs a(n) (unwilling) human to help him with his dirty work. Eric Roberts is well cast as the stoic and soft spoken Michael, too bad he only gets maybe a minute of screen time, if that. There's even a cameo by Glenn Danzig, who's of course known for his hit movie Verotika and nothing else at all. I had a good time watching this and I have the 3rd movie here to watch soon. There are more than 3 Prophecy movies, actually, but there's a STEEP drop in quality after #3 IIRC.

They do briefly touch on why there is an angelic civil war, so you don't absolutely have to watch the first movie if you want to see this one, but I definitely suggest that you do.

Edited January 19 by Keyrock

[Gromnir]

On 1/10/2024 at 6:56 AM, Amentep said:

They were part of a co-production for Netflix' Mutafukaz aka MFKZ

excellent animation with a unique style. the narrative might not work for everybody and we got plenty o' complaints, but is worth seeing just 'cause o' the animation efforts.

however, and perhaps unfortunate, am recollecting mfkz also bombed.

c'est la vie.

HA! Good Fun!

ps after @Agiel recommended, we saw dofus and the animation were indeed manifique. perhaps oddball videogame origins explains some tonal quirks, and the fact the title were planned as a series might explain why the raison d'etre for major character motivations and plot events were sadly left as macguffin. maybe. even so, the film looked and sounded great. too bad it bombed.

[Keyrock]

Best news I've heard all year:

Needless to say, I've already purchased my copy and am eagerly awaiting receiving a DVD-R in a jewel case in the mail. 

[LadyCrimson]

^ With the way digital media and tv subs are going - and as cheap as many bluray films have become - I'm back to wondering if I should rebuy more old fave movies, before the only way to get to see any of them will be to have 99 streaming subs. The idea doesn't make my less-clutter brain happy tho. Maybe I'm old enough where I should just digital-purchase some (cheaper/older) films and pray I'll die before the companies fold/yank the attached services.

Edit: I still have an old/cheap VHS player but have tossed most tapes. It's the stuff one recorded off TV that's hardest to toss tho - ST:TNG cast on Good Morning America for example. Haha.

Edited January 23 by LadyCrimson

[Hurlshort]

I lost access to Elf on Amazon the other day. I bought it 15 years ago on Prime Video, and suddenly I couldn't play it. Considering I use it to kill a bit of time on the last day of school before winter break, I was bummed. I thought, I can go and file a ticket with Amazon, or I can just re-buy it for $12. 

I bought it and enjoyed the last day of school with the kids. 

[Keyrock]

I've been buying movies I enjoy on blu-ray or dvd while we still can, while physical media is still a thing, before the dystopian future where we own nothing and we will supposedly be happy arrives.

[LadyCrimson]

3 hours ago, Hurlshort said:

or I can just re-buy it for $12. 

If you were to rent a fave thing a few/several times, it's not like you'd save money in that sense, even if it disappears on you after a while, so from a cost perspective I wouldn't mind at all. But the "own nothing" - in terms of access to what you paid a higher fee for, being company/service controlled vs. a broken or lost physical item - starts to grate on one after a while.

At least it's rare I seriously care about maybe rewatching anything these days, so any list of "must buys" for me isn't really large. Just the desert island kind of list.