Spoilers What Movie Are You Watching?

[Huntn]

Just added this to my Netflix queue, saw it come up in recently released - love me some <SB>



Hahaha, got to love the old school label maker labels for the various gadgets in Little Nellie (I so totally dug that whole helicopter sequence when I was a kid)



It's yet another reboot. There was so much turmoil, walk-offs, re-writes, the director flipping out, trashing hotels, and disassociated himself from the picture, I'm not surprised at the single digital RT score.

They (i.e., "them"), just cannot get the FF right, and it's not that hard. Focus on the family unit, go back the original source material, look at how Byrne handled them - and for gods sake, make Doctor Doom a charismatic leader of Latvia, brilliant, a dictator but totally loyal to his country. He's not a mutant, his armor isn't some kind of skin, go read a few FF comics. It's really simple.

In fact, the best FF movie has already been made, it's called The Incredibles

Brilliant observation! There is no reason to reinvent the wheel, in fact most times that's a detriment. It's based on a minimum standard of faithfulness to the source material, you know, the reason why it originally was a hit.

 

[Khalanad75]

(The more I read about the background to the release of this new version of Fantastic Four, the more I'm leaning towards believing that the avalanche of negativity towards it is part of a conspiracy by fans and media to force Fox to revert it's license on the franchise back to Marvel. I can understand that not every moviegoer will enjoy it as much as I did, but the amount of hate being directed at the film is out of all proportion to it's actual content.)

So wait, because the majority disagrees with you and thought it was a horrible film... it's a conspiracy?

 

[Benjamin Frost]

Okay, James Bond is a cliché, and not even a cliché that I much like; moreover, he is of his era, that superficially slick early 60s vibe, and - for that reason, most of the later films, irrespective of who played Bond, are something of an anachronism.

Nevertheless, for all of that, there is a certain je ne sais quoi about the early Bond movies…….

Your criticism is politically-correct pants.

James Bond is great entertainment, and the early films are classics. They went downhill with the female M and reached rock bottom with the dreadful chav who plays him these days (can't remember his name).

Up.

I find it affects my eyes.

 

[balamw]

for gods sake, make Doctor Doom a charismatic leader of Latvia, brilliant, a dictator but totally loyal to his country.

Latveria, but who's checking.

This is the one thing that I have not enjoyed about the various FF movies. Messing with the husband/wife/brother in law/ best friend dynamic.

The incredibles is excellent, but the dynamic is different once it becomes parent/child.

B

 

[filmbufs]

Your criticism is politically-correct pants.

James Bond is great entertainment, and the early films are classics. They went downhill with the female M and reached rock bottom with the dreadful chav who plays him these days (can't remember his name)...

I'm surprised you didn't like Judi Dench as M. She's an amazing actress and, for me, lent a depth to the character that, until then, was just a guy who handed Bond his orders and sighed at his hijinks. The dreadful chav, as you call him, is Ralph Fiennes, only a two-time Academy Award nominee and a classically trained Shakespearean stage actor. Oh yeah, Dame Dench is also won the AA once, was nominated another six times and she is yet another classically trained Shakespearean actor. I'm not mentioning all this to diminish your comment in any way, as it is all subjective, rather providing another perspective. Both of these actors have played the role of M in a quieter way and I realize that's not everyone's cup of tea. For me, personally, I rather appreciate the new direction the Bond films have taken since Casino Royale and especially with Skyfall.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I watched The Last Samurai the other night with my wife. We both liked it.

 

[RawBert]

No Country for Old Men (2007)
Brilliant.

Pitch Perfect 2
It has its moments.

 

[D.T.]

Latveria, but who's checking.

This is the one thing that I have not enjoyed about the various FF movies. Messing with the husband/wife/brother in law/ best friend dynamic.

The incredibles is excellent, but the dynamic is different once it becomes parent/child.

B

Mr. Auto Correct, that's who I have about 250+ comics that have some Doom related content, FF plus dozens of appearances of DD in Ironman, Defenders, Avengers, (even counting 30+ rides on the Doom Towers at US:IoA), I _still_ feel a bit ashamed ...

 

[kazmac]

Just added this to my Netflix queue, saw it come up in recently released - love me some <SB>

Enjoy it. After decades of not seeing SB films I am gorging and enjoying 99% of what I've seen.

 

[Benjamin Frost]

I'm surprised you didn't like Judi Dench as M. She's an amazing actress and, for me, lent a depth to the character that, until then, was just a guy who handed Bond his orders and sighed at his hijinks. The dreadful chav, as you call him, is Ralph Fiennes, only a two-time Academy Award nominee and a classically trained Shakespearean stage actor. Oh yeah, Dame Dench is also won the AA once, was nominated another six times and she is yet another classically trained Shakespearean actor. I'm not mentioning all this to diminish your comment in any way, as it is all subjective, rather providing another perspective. Both of these actors have played the role of M in a quieter way and I realize that's not everyone's cup of tea. For me, personally, I rather appreciate the new direction the Bond films have taken since Casino Royale and especially with Skyfall.

I like Judi Dench in comedy, but can't stand her as M. Comes across as an uptight headmistress.

I was referring to Daniel Craig; didn't know Fiennes was playing Bond.

 

[bobob]

I received The Gift last night and I was very appreciative of the thoughtfulness of the giver.

Of course, my benefactor was writer/director/star Joel Edgerton (you might remember him as Tom Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann's version of The Great Gatsby).

It sure was a pleasure to see an adult thriller in this age of endless teen content - - it reminded me of some of the many great ones that came out in the 80's such as Dressed To Kill, Body Heat, The Fourth Man, Body Double, Angel Heart, No Way Out, Frantic, The Vanishing, Dead Calm, and Sea Of Love. I will refrain from discussing even a hint of the story, except to say that it absolutely kept me guessing throughout as any good thriller must. The acting was impeccable, with the aforementioned Joel Edgerton, Jason Bateman in a rare non-comic role, and I especially liked Rebecca Hall and look forward to seeing more of her in the future.

A

 

[Huntn]

No Country for Old Men (2007)
Brilliant.

... And disturbing. I saw Javier Bardem in a humorous romantic movie (Vicky Christina Barcelona) so I know he's human, but his transformation into a sciopathec killer was chilling.

 

[pachyderm]

... And disturbing. I saw Javier Bardem in a humorous romantic movie (Vicky Christina Barcelona) so I know he's human, but his transformation into a sciopathec killer was chilling.

exactly.

 

[Khalanad75]

Watched The Maze Runner last night with the family. The kids enjoyed it and I suppose if I can overlook some things it wasn't that bad of a movie. Some very nice action sequences.

 

[ucfgrad93]

Watched The Maze Runner last night with the family. The kids enjoyed it and I suppose if I can overlook some things it wasn't that bad of a movie. Some very nice action sequences.

The Scorch Trials, second book in the series, comes out in September.

 

[bobob]

(The more I read about the background to the release of this new version of Fantastic Four, the more I'm leaning towards believing that the avalanche of negativity towards it is part of a conspiracy by fans and media to force Fox to revert it's license on the franchise back to Marvel. I can understand that not every moviegoer will enjoy it as much as I did, but the amount of hate being directed at the film is out of all proportion to it's actual content.)

So wait, because the majority disagrees with you and thought it was a horrible film... it's a conspiracy?

No, as I said above the reason is that "the amount of hate being directed at the film is out of all proportion to it's actual content".

Further, with director Josh Trank siding with the conspirators, I expect Marvel to announce a plum job for him at some point in the future, in reciprocation for speeding up their contract renegotiations with Fox.

I've learned I can't always trust critics.

Good policy.

 

[Huntn]

Watched The Maze Runner last night with the family. The kids enjoyed it and I suppose if I can overlook some things it wasn't that bad of a movie. Some very nice action sequences.

The trailer for this reminded me of Hunger Games making me think it was another Hollywood copy cat movie.

 

[D.T.]

John Wick
8/10 General, 9.5/10 Genre

It's an action revenge fantasy that plays like a beautifully stylized animated [anime] movie - I'm a sucker for secret world movie universes, and this has some fantastic "world building" (that cleverly allows some real world concerns to be back-burnered), especially given the short run time. While the plot is simple, and even a bit absurd (clearly though, the movie is smartly self aware), the artistry and execution for this type of movie is fantastic.

There's a sequence in a bar/club/bathhouse that's an _incredible_ blend of action/music/choreography/acting/lighting, just wow. Outstanding practical effects, stunt work (as opposed to a CGI-a-thon in the genre like Wanted), it has more in common with Hong Kong action films/John Woo than anything from the states.

Terrific casting (in addition to KR) for the supporting roles: Willem Dafoe, Ian McShane, Michael Nyqvist, several other familiar faces. Looks like they're in for a sequel as well.

 

[Huntn]

John Wick
8/10 General, 9.5/10 Genre

It's an action revenge fantasy that plays like a beautifully stylized animated [anime] movie - I'm a sucker for secret world movie universes, and this has some fantastic "world building" (that cleverly allows some real world concerns to be back-burnered), especially given the short run time. While the plot is simple, and even a bit absurd (clearly though, the movie is smartly self aware), the artistry and execution for this type of movie is fantastic.

There's a sequence in a bar/club/bathhouse that's an _incredible_ blend of action/music/choreography/acting/lighting, just wow. Outstanding practical effects, stunt work (as opposed to a CGI-a-thon in the genre like Wanted), it has more in common with Hong Kong action films/John Woo than anything from the states.

Terrific casting (in addition to KR) for the supporting roles: Willem Dafoe, Ian McShane, Michael Nyqvist, several other familiar faces. Looks like they're in for a sequel as well.

I love Ian McShane (Al Swearengen) from Deadwood. Most likely I'll stream this.

 

[D.T.]

I love Ian McShane (Al Swearengen) from Deadwood. Most likely I'll stream this.

Ian McShane and Deadwood are both amazing - McShane is coming to Game of Thrones too! FYI, his role is very small (vs. Nyqvist who's the main antagonist, and Dafoe who has small, but more recurring presence), but he has an incredible scene towards the end, with a line that could only have been delivered by him (no, it doesn't include the word, well, you know...)

 

[Savor]

Going to binge on some Tarantino films tonight. All eight complete films he directed.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Jackie Brown (1997)
Kill Bill Vol. (2003)
Kill Bill Vol. (2004)
Death Proof (2007)

Already owned Reservoir Dogs DVD (Mr. Brown cover) and thought it was ok. Same with Jackie Brown. Didn't finish Kill Bill Vol 2. Never seen Death Proof. None of those five are in my Top 3. For me, Pulp Fiction ranks as my 4th fav ever and #1 Tarantino film. I didn't love it at first. After more viewings on how the dialogue would setup the next scene and draw irony, it became one of my all-time favs. Django and Basterds rank #2 and #3 for me. I prefer Waltz in Basterds but Leo and Sam Jackson gave a great performance in Django. I would also throw in True Romance (his story/screenplay) in my Top 4 easily. The minor role performances from Brad Pitt, Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper, and Gary Oldman highlighted that film.

I am sorta in the mood for Tarantino after seeing the H8ful Eight trailer even though he can be a hack to some haters and film snobs. His movies get better with more viewings for me.

My Top 5 favs -
1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

I saw it in the theater before the rental stores and IMDb gave it such a huge following. It was ome of those rare movies along with Schindler's List where I kept thinking about it days later as I am used to forgetting most stories from movies

2. Casino (1995)
3. Goodfellas (1990)
4. Pulp Fiction (1994)
5. Forrest Gump (1994)

That last one can be overrated to some and probably didn't deserve best picture as Pulp and Shawshank were superior but I still love it. My Top 5 hasn't changed in 10+ years and might stay that way until I die. This is why the 90's kicked *** when it came to movies. I love The Godfather I & II, but like Star Wars, I consider it more as a "series" than enjoying them and placing them individually. Also, The Godfather series which I have seen like 20+ times can drag at times. The Scorsese pacing in the 1990's holds up much better for the shorter attention span generation than movies from the pre-1990's. I have seen Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, The Exorcism, Easy Rider, etc. Very few needs another viewing for me. 1970's DRAMA drags and drags. But a kids movie like The Goonies or a 1959 comedy like Some Like It Hot can hold up very well. I say about 90-95% of all movies have boring dialogue scenes and The Godfather is no different. Unless it is the dialogue that moves the story and highlights the movie like what I saw in Pulp.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I love Ian McShane (Al Swearengen) from Deadwood. Most likely I'll stream this.

Ian McShane and Deadwood are both amazing - McShane is coming to Game of Thrones too! FYI, his role is very small (vs. Nyqvist who's the main antagonist, and Dafoe who has small, but more recurring presence), but he has an incredible scene towards the end, with a line that could only have been delivered by him (no, it doesn't include the word, well, you know...)

Agreed. Ian McShane is an absolutely brilliant actor, and positively steals any scene he is in. Actually, a series, or programme is worth watching for him alone; I must admit to loving him, as well.

He was fantastic in the TV adaptation of 'Pillars Of The Earth', (based on Ken Follett's book of the same name) too, when he played the ambitious, amoral and scheming Bishop Waleran Bigod.

Going to binge on some Tarantino films tonight. All eight complete films he directed.

[snip]

That last one can be overrated to some and probably didn't deserve best picture as Pulp and Shawshank were superior but I still love it. My Top 5 hasn't changed in 10+ years and might stay that way until I die. This is why the 90's kicked *** when it came to movies. I love The Godfather I & II, but like Star Wars, I consider it more as a "series" than enjoying them and placing them individually. Also, The Godfather series which I have seen like 20+ times can drag at times. The Scorsese pacing in the 1990's holds up much better for the shorter attention span generation than movies from the pre-1990's. I have seen Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, The Exorcism, Easy Rider, etc. Very few needs another viewing for me. 1970's DRAMA drags and drags. But a kids movie like The Goonies or a 1959 comedy like Some Like It Hot can hold up very well. I say about 90-95% of all movies have boring dialogue scenes and The Godfather is no different. Unless it is the dialogue that moves the story and highlights the movie like what I saw in Pulp.

Well, I beg to differ a bit from your post.

As it happens, I rather like dialogue and I like character development, actors who can comfortably inhabit such roles, and good strong stories. But then, I am not from the 'shorter attention span' generation; rather, I have an incredibly long attention span.

While I am a European, and much prefer most of what comes out of Europe to the vast majority of the output from the US, I have to admit that Godfather 1 and Godfather 11 are superb movies, flawless classics, both. The dialogue matters, because this is how you learn about the characters, and how you observe their narrative arc and moral collapse.

Re Quentin Tarantino, his movies are actually very uneven. Some are excellent, while others drag. And they drag because they have forgotten about the importance of building character, or allowing for character development.

The irony is that one of his strengths is crackling dialogue, and his movies suffer when he sacrifices character and dialogue for action sequences. To my mind, Pulp Fiction would have missed an awful lot of its charm and character as a movie, if it had axed the extraordinary, extremely articulate and subtle dialogues between Jules and Vincent, which, on the face of it, did not drive the plot one whit.

Django Unchained worked because of an excellent cast, but also because Tarantino played again to his strengths of crafting great dialogue for his characters, something which was clear especially in the terrific dialogues between Christoph Waltz (as Dr Schultz) and Jamie Foxx (as Django).

 

[bobob]

Despite being directed by Oscar-winning director Jonathon Demme (Silence of the Lambs) and being written by Oscar-winning writer Diablo Cody (Juno), Ricki and the Flash is a very pedestrian grrrrl-power movie.

Sure, it's a chance for Meryl Streep to add further proof that she is capable of everything (watch for her doing her own fighter jet stunts in next year's remake of Top Gun) - - but the whole thing's kind of a downer, right up until the end, when it finally gains a bit of steam in the rather unearned finale.

B

 

[D.T.]

Going to binge on some Tarantino films tonight. All eight complete films he directed.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Jackie Brown (1997)
Kill Bill Vol. (2003)
Kill Bill Vol. (2004)
Death Proof (2007)

Already owned Reservoir Dogs DVD (Mr. Brown cover) and thought it was ok. Same with Jackie Brown.

Jackie Brown is in my top 3 maybe top 2 QT films. I dig the slow burn, it's dialed back on some QT-isms and feels more intimate. It's based on an Elmore Leonard novel titled Rum Punch so it's interesting in that it's an adaptation of sorts _and_ clearly QT picked up his dialog style from Leonard (who is a highly recommended read - additional FYI, Leonard's story 'Fire in the Hole' was the basis for the brilliant series Justified, and that has the same sort of beautiful banter)

I love The Godfather I & II ...

Didn't care for it ... it insists upon itself.

Also, The Godfather series which I have seen like 20+ times can drag at times. The Scorsese pacing in the 1990's holds up much better for the shorter attention span generation than movies from the pre-1990's.

You made a jump from The Godfather to 90's Scorsese films, though you know the former wasn't directed by the latter (it was Coppola)[?]

 

[bobob]

Also, The Godfather series which I have seen like 20+ times can drag at times. The Scorsese pacing in the 1990's holds up much better for the shorter attention span generation than movies from the pre-1990's.

You made a jump from The Godfather to 90's Scorsese films, though you know the former wasn't directed by the latter (it was Coppola)[?]

Judging by Savor's demonstrated knowledge of film on this forum, I would imagine he was referring to Scorcese's "mobster" movies (Good Fellas, Casino), which picked up Coppola's baton and ran with it.