Cinema and Movie Thread: coming at you at 24fps

[Lexx]

I probably belong to the few who thought Venom 1 and 2 was ok and at least watchable once. Will watch the third movie for sure.

[Hurlshort]

3 minutes ago, Lexx said:

I probably belong to the few who thought Venom 1 and 2 was ok and at least watchable once. Will watch the third movie for sure.

It must have done well enough to warrant 3 movies, so I don't think you are alone. It's a pretty fun dynamic and doesn't take itself too seriously, so I've enjoyed them.

[Lexx]

It's just whenever I see people write about the Venom movies, they seem to be quite disliked. I get that some parts of them are a little meh and probably could be better, but at the end of the day, I didn't fell asleep while watching them, so it's at least better than Wonder Woman and... some other super hero movies which I can't remember right now, because I slept through them.

[Amentep]

On 5/30/2024 at 2:31 PM, Gfted1 said:

 

This is a fake trailer, btw. Or as Screen Culture terms it a 'final trailer concept'.

[InsaneCommander]

 

[Lexx]

God I have such high hopes, but I probably shouldn't.

[LadyCrimson]

I clicked on the "Deadpool and Wolverine Popcorn Bucket" video. I feel unclean.*  

 

 

*it is rather funny tho

[Bartimaeus]

The Devils (1971)...by the ever incorrigible Ken Russell.

It's difficult to put into words exactly what makes Russell's films so...is "on-putting" a word? It should be: it's basically the same as "off-putting", insofar as that there's something bizarre and disconcerting experienced, except that it's interesting and entertaining instead of being unpleasant or tiresome as you would rightfully expect given the content. The man has this inexplicable superpower of making films that don't really have any right to be good...exactly that. I would say this is his best film of the ones I've watched, and I was rather enthralled by both characters, story, themes, and performances, though I think I still ultimately liked The Boyfriend a little more for subjective reasons. The Exorcist is widely remembered as one of the best films of all time while The Devils was heavily censored and disavowed by the media: it perhaps seems a strange difference in reactions, given how many similarities you might notice between the two and that they were released at close to the same time (1971 vs. 1973). I suppose The Devils has a more...dual nature, in that the audience has to grapple with the fact that it walks a very fine line in being comedic, nearly parodical, in how outrageous (though never unintelligible) it gets - in grave contrast to its all too real messaging on the harrowing and dangerous intersection of politics, religion, and human nature, among a number of other things. I could see that offending many political and religious sensibilities where The Exorcist didn't, as The Exorcist always played it straight, always treated the religious and supernatural elements very seriously while keeping any commentary it might have on them quiet enough, while The Devils most certainly did not.

On the other hand, I wouldn't dream of The Devils giving up on its funnier, more sociopolitical side if it meant the film forsaking the scene where a carefree and whimsical King Louis XIII lounges around in the raving throng of "demonically possessed" nuns. Who else is going to dispel the demons from all of them with an ancient vial of Jesus' blood inside of a relic container before impishly revealing that the box was in fact completely empty, causing the possessions to resume as if they hadn't ever paused? I was quite saddened the king didn't show up at either the trial or the stake burning, but I suppose His Majesty's delightful presence there would've rather undercut the film, so it was probably all for the best.

Edited June 6 by Bartimaeus

[Amentep]

Speaking of Ken Russell, I saw Lair of the White Worm recently for the first time.  As is often true with Russell's films its a better film than its reputation would lead you to believe, even if I think Russell's final joke at the end doesn't really pay off.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

12 hours ago, Bartimaeus said:

The Devils (1971)...by the ever incorrigible Ken Russell.

It's difficult to put into words exactly what makes Russell's films so...is "on-putting" a word? It should be: it's basically the same as "off-putting", insofar as that there's something bizarre and disconcerting experienced, except that it's interesting and entertaining instead of being unpleasant or tiresome as you would rightfully expect given the content. The man has this inexplicable superpower of making films that don't really have any right to be good...exactly that. I would say this is his best film of the ones I've watched, and I was rather enthralled by both characters, story, themes, and performances, though I think I still ultimately liked The Boyfriend a little more for subjective reasons. The Exorcist is widely remembered as one of the best films of all time while The Devils was heavily censored and disavowed by the media: it perhaps seems a strange difference in reactions, given how many similarities you might notice between the two and that they were released at close to the same time (1971 vs. 1973). I suppose The Devils has a more...dual nature, in that the audience has to grapple with the fact that it walks a very fine line in being comedic, nearly parodical, in how outrageous (though never unintelligible) it gets - in grave contrast to its all too real messaging on the harrowing and dangerous intersection of politics, religion, and human nature, among a number of other things. I could see that offending many political and religious sensibilities where The Exorcist didn't, as The Exorcist always played it straight, always treated the religious and supernatural elements very seriously while keeping any commentary it might have on them quiet enough, while The Devils most certainly did not.

On the other hand, I wouldn't dream of The Devils giving up on its funnier, more sociopolitical side if it meant the film forsaking the scene where a carefree and whimsical King Louis XIII lounges around in the raving throng of "demonically possessed" nuns. Who else is going to dispel the demons from all of them with an ancient vial of Jesus' blood inside of a relic container before impishly revealing that the box was in fact completely empty, causing the possessions to resume as if they hadn't ever paused? I was quite saddened the king didn't show up at either the trial or the stake burning, but I suppose His Majesty's delightful presence there would've rather undercut the film, so it was probably all for the best.

"Don't look at me. I'm beautifuuuul. I'm beautifuuuuuuul." and Louis XIII doing a drag performance has been seared into my mind since I saw the film.

I think that what makes it work so well for me is how I went in expecting somethings like the Excorcist but moar lewd and instead got a substantially better version of The Crucible. Frankly what I found disturbing wasn't the nun orgy but just how relevant a 50 year old film about events 4 centuries ago feels. Maybe I'm just too brain damaged by Evangelion.

7 hours ago, Amentep said:

Speaking of Ken Russell, I saw Lair of the White Worm recently for the first time.  As is often true with Russell's films its a better film than its reputation would lead you to believe, even if I think Russell's final joke at the end doesn't really pay off.

I think it's a really solid horror that manages to straddle the line between being too much of a joke to taking itself so seriously it disappears up it's own ass.

[Bartimaeus]

Unforgiven (1992).

In theory, I should've liked the ugly story that this was trying to tell, pathetic and free from any 'glory', a solemn introspection and sunset for westerns...but the leading trio of Eastwood, Freeman, and Woolvett conspired to blow up half the film for me. They all inexplicably stunk...or maybe were trying to do or be something that I just didn't understand. Everything else about this movie was pretty enjoyable, especially with the film seeming to be a kind of reflection on Clint Eastwood's career in the genre that he helped shape and popularize. It's one of those films I wish I had liked but for some reason didn't, especially what with this being considered one of the best films of all time.

8 hours ago, PK htiw klaw eriF said:

"Don't look at me. I'm beautifuuuul. I'm beautifuuuuuuul." and Louis XIII doing a drag performance has been seared into my mind since I saw the film.

Funnily, the opening of the film (i.e. the king's...uh, play, or whatever) was probably my least favorite part of the film, mainly because I was wondering what the hell was going on and just what I was getting into. I think if I re-watched the opening, I'd like it a lot more now, but it was a bad way to start the film for me. Initial impressions can be difficult to shake, so it's further credit to the film (...and the king) that it did.

Edited June 7 by Bartimaeus

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

10 hours ago, Bartimaeus said:

Funnily, the opening of the film (i.e. the king's...uh, play, or whatever) was probably my least favorite part of the film, mainly because I was wondering what the hell was going on and just what I was getting into. I think if I re-watched the opening, I'd like it a lot more now, but it was a bad way to start the film for me. Initial impressions can be difficult to shake, so it's further credit to the film (...and the king) that it did.

I enjoyed it because it was a well executed scene but moreso because it really hammers in the disconnect between the decadent nature of the court and the real effect of its politics. XIII could not give less of a **** over the real people who are going to suffer from the policies he enacts so long as he gets to do his silly king stuff, and his Richelieu also doesn't really care that his king is pretty much the exact kind of guy he should despise so long as he gets to do what he wants. That's pretty analogous to a lot of what we're dealing with right now, with some politicians being a much less fun mirror of Louis XIII and some of their administrators being more overtly fascist versions of Richelieu.

[Hurlshort]

One of my favorite books, and it looks like a pretty great adaptation of it.

[Amentep]

I read CoMC in high school, but over the years had forgotten I read it.  Then one day I saw the Jim Caveziel movie adaption and was like "I read the book!!!!"

[Raithe]

16 hours ago, Hurlshort said:

One of my favorite books, and it looks like a pretty great adaptation of it.

It's one of those that I pretty much re-read once a year.

I hadn't seen that there was a new adaption coming.

[LadyCrimson]

Godzilla Minus One via Netflix --  the actual few Godzilla scenes were fun. There aren't all that many of them tho. It felt 20 minutes too long and while it's leagues better than the Hollywood attempts,I was left largely unmoved by it overall. But then, I'm not a mega old-timer Godzilla fan, so that's probably part of it. I remember watching some of those poorly Eng. dubbed versions after school when I was a kid, but I barely remember them.

Atlas, also via Netflix - well...the robot/mech suit personality/VA was a decent "character" for entertainment value. The CGI looked clean.  That's about all one can about it, really.

[Sarex]

Furiosa. Arguably even better than Fury Road, if only it wasn't for the CGI... Don't get me wrong it doesn't ruin the film, but when compared to Fury Road it just leaves you wanting. The CGI wasn't terrible, but it was noticeable and the worst part is that they did it for the most random things...

Apart from the CGI, Furiosa is still better played by Charlize Theron, but on the other hand Chris Hemsworth killed the role. The story is also more coherent than in the first part and no weird audio issues, but on the other hand the music was not quite as good.

In the end what this move does best is hyping me up for part 3.

[Gorgon]

yeah, it's pretty good.

[Bartimaeus]

Not sure whether to post here or in the anime thread...

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, an official feature film coming to theatres somewhere near you this December...

...No, this isn't a joke, this is really what a Lord of the Rings feature film is actually going to look like...in theatres. Well, until it horribly flops and they release it to streaming shortly after, anyway.

[CopingMarlinsFan]

I stand by my view if you like Venom, you'll probably like Upgrade. At least from a theme and plot view.

[Amentep]

 

 

[CopingMarlinsFan]

On 6/12/2024 at 5:37 PM, Amentep said:

 

 

I am so gonna look if Grace Randolph reviewed this shot by shot.

[Bartimaeus]

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969).

I wanted to watch at least one non-Harry Potter Maggie Smith film, and this did not disappoint: though I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the complicated and sometimes ridiculous titular school teacher that she played in the film, there's no doubt that Maggie Smith did play her most wonderfully and I very much enjoyed the film because of her. However, the much more pressing issue cloaking this film in shadow is one Miss Gaunt, whose blank and dead-eyed stare will forevermore haunt my nightmares.

If anything, the name "Miss Gaunt" doesn't nearly do this spectre justice. I looked up this actress in other films and I guess that's just how she looks, and a good thing too: the world of film always needs more unique and frightening faces. Hollywood in particular has always been so dreary with all its wretchedly ugly beautiful people, never more so than now.

Edited Monday at 10:48 AM by Bartimaeus

[Zoraptor]

Huh. I'm now kind of wondering if Ann Way was Matt Smith's grandmother or something, because that's an uncanny resemblance.

[CopingMarlinsFan]

2 minutes ago, Zoraptor said:

Huh. I'm now kind of wondering if Ann Way was Matt Smith's grandmother or something, because that's an uncanny resemblance.

Well now I am not unseeing this