10 votes

Movie Monday Free Talk

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27 comments

  1. [3]
    doctorsleez
    Link
    I think Cloud Atlas is an underrated film that consists of so much detail and emotions within one film. I would imagine the difficulty that came with creating such an intense and drawn out film....

    I think Cloud Atlas is an underrated film that consists of so much detail and emotions within one film. I would imagine the difficulty that came with creating such an intense and drawn out film. The story (which is also a novel) consists of multiple stories coming together in a greater message or theme. A must watch movie for those that are interested in utopia, dystopia, or mind-boggling films.

    7 votes
    1. [2]
      roboticide
      Link Parent
      Eh, watched that last year and thought it was overall rated pretty accurately. On the Wichowski scale it was no Matrix, but it was leagues better than Jupiter Ascending. Maybe it holds up better...

      Eh, watched that last year and thought it was overall rated pretty accurately. On the Wichowski scale it was no Matrix, but it was leagues better than Jupiter Ascending.

      Maybe it holds up better on the re-watch when things make more sense, but I felt the narrative was just a bit too convoluted on the first pass.

      3 votes
      1. aphoenix
        Link Parent
        I was deeply let down by Cloud Atlas. It was certainly beautiful though, and there are some scenes that were great. Maybe I'd had too many people recommend it saying, "You will love this movie"...

        I was deeply let down by Cloud Atlas. It was certainly beautiful though, and there are some scenes that were great. Maybe I'd had too many people recommend it saying, "You will love this movie" and it just couldn't live up to the expectations that I had.

        3 votes
  2. [3]
    gpl
    Link
    I have a goal of watching one movie per week for an entire year. I started by finally sitting down and watching Jiro Dreams of Sushi, which I have heard so much about for the last couple of years....

    I have a goal of watching one movie per week for an entire year. I started by finally sitting down and watching Jiro Dreams of Sushi, which I have heard so much about for the last couple of years. It completely lived up to the hype - a wonderful exploration of dedication, expectation, and perfection. It really made me want to commit myself fully to something worthwhile in a personal sense, not necessarily a cosmic one. In any case I completely recommend it.

    6 votes
    1. firstname
      Link Parent
      I absolutely adore Jiro Dreams Of Suhi. It´s probably a top 10 documentary for me. I think i have seen it 3 times. It´s one of those films that never will leave my mind for as long as i live. It´s...

      I absolutely adore Jiro Dreams Of Suhi. It´s probably a top 10 documentary for me. I think i have seen it 3 times. It´s one of those films that never will leave my mind for as long as i live.

      It´s amazing how they make a film about something so "simple" as sushi, and make it into something so absolutely epic, which it is in the hands of Jiro. I have always respected good craftsmanship and love watching artisans do their work.

      I can recommend visiting r/artisanvideos for more similar content.

      4 votes
    2. tomf
      Link Parent
      If you're into documentaries, you should check out Documentary Now -- specifically S02E02, *Juan Likes Rice & Chicken." Documentary Now parodies popular documentaries with unbelievable detail and...

      If you're into documentaries, you should check out Documentary Now -- specifically S02E02, *Juan Likes Rice & Chicken."

      Documentary Now parodies popular documentaries with unbelievable detail and accuracy. It's from Fred Armisen and Bill Hader, but Hader isn't in the last season as much as the earlier ones.

      2 votes
  3. [8]
    Fierre
    Link
    I saw Annihilation (2018) last night. I went in expecting a typical action sci-fi movie and instead got a beautiful, weird ass movie starring interesting female characters (or at least more...

    I saw Annihilation (2018) last night. I went in expecting a typical action sci-fi movie and instead got a beautiful, weird ass movie starring interesting female characters (or at least more interesting than most female characters in action movies). The setting was beautiful and creepy. The plot was definitely better than most sci-fi thriller movies. Overall, I highly recommend it

    6 votes
    1. [5]
      emnii
      Link Parent
      I likewise loved Annihilation, so much that I immediately bought and read the novel after I got home from the theater, only to find that the novel is almost completely different. It might be more...

      I likewise loved Annihilation, so much that I immediately bought and read the novel after I got home from the theater, only to find that the novel is almost completely different. It might be more accurate to call the film 'inspired by' the novel rather than a translation. I intended on checking out more of Alex Garland's work but haven't gotten around to it yet. Heard good things about Ex Machina.

      3 votes
      1. [2]
        aphoenix
        Link Parent
        I enjoyed Ex Machina quite a lot. There's something about Domhnall Gleeson that I always enjoy, and I'll watch just about anything with him in it. Alicia Vikander and Oscar Isaac are also great in...

        I enjoyed Ex Machina quite a lot. There's something about Domhnall Gleeson that I always enjoy, and I'll watch just about anything with him in it. Alicia Vikander and Oscar Isaac are also great in this movie, and I really enjoy the general topic - artifical life - and how everything played out. The pacing, the attention to detail, the acting, the script, the sets, the cinematography - I liked all of it.

        I definitely recommend giving it a watch!

        5 votes
        1. gpl
          Link Parent
          I enjoyed Ex Machina a lot as well, it was a refreshing bit of sci-fi that didn't derive all of its entertainment from action. That being said I was a tiny bit underwhelmed after watching it, but...

          I enjoyed Ex Machina a lot as well, it was a refreshing bit of sci-fi that didn't derive all of its entertainment from action. That being said I was a tiny bit underwhelmed after watching it, but I think it was just too hyped up for me. That's not really the movie's fault though, I just need to watch it again with my expectations reined in a bit.

          4 votes
      2. [2]
        Deimos
        Link Parent
        I bought my dad another one of Jeff VanderMeer's novels (Borne) because it sounded like it might be somewhat similar to Perdido Street Station, which he really liked. It didn't seem like he...

        I bought my dad another one of Jeff VanderMeer's novels (Borne) because it sounded like it might be somewhat similar to Perdido Street Station, which he really liked. It didn't seem like he enjoyed it very much.

        I liked Ex Machina quite a bit, I'd definitely recommend watching it. 28 Days Later is great too, and used to be one of my favorite movies.

        3 votes
        1. emnii
          Link Parent
          Borne is in my backlog. I think I put it there before ever seeing Annihilation but the novel jumped the list because I liked the film so much and I still haven't gone back to Borne. I'm taking a...

          Borne is in my backlog. I think I put it there before ever seeing Annihilation but the novel jumped the list because I liked the film so much and I still haven't gone back to Borne. I'm taking a short break from the review grind and I want to make time for it but I've got a lot on the backlog that I want to read.

          I forgot that Garland wrote the screenplay for 28 Days Later, which I liked.

          3 votes
    2. [2]
      roboticide
      Link Parent
      I've been meaning to watch this. Maybe I'll bump it to the top of the list and watch it with the fiance this weekend. I think we could both use a decent female character story after the hamfisted...

      I've been meaning to watch this. Maybe I'll bump it to the top of the list and watch it with the fiance this weekend. I think we could both use a decent female character story after the hamfisted bits in End Game.

      Any jump scares though? I can handle suspense and thrillers but am such a little bitch about jump scares, lol.

      3 votes
      1. emnii
        Link Parent
        Hmm I can't recall any jump scares but there are some surprises. I think it's far more on the deeply unsettling side of spectrum, opposite of shock horror. It's not about putting horrible things...

        Hmm I can't recall any jump scares but there are some surprises. I think it's far more on the deeply unsettling side of spectrum, opposite of shock horror. It's not about putting horrible things in front of you for reactions but it does work a lot on giving you the feeling that something's not right. There's definitely one gross moment but IIRC the characters see it before you do so you see their reaction first. It's not trying to shock you.

        2 votes
  4. [4]
    emnii
    Link
    I saw Endgame on Tuesday. It was a great conclusion to a lot of those MCU story arcs but a bit plodding in the middle. At around 3 hours long, I think they could've shaved a bit more off for the...

    I saw Endgame on Tuesday. It was a great conclusion to a lot of those MCU story arcs but a bit plodding in the middle. At around 3 hours long, I think they could've shaved a bit more off for the theatrical release.

    I watched some of Rogue One on cable TV over the weekend. I think I like that movie more with repeat viewings. On the flipside of that, I also watched The Phantom Menace and that thing is still an incomprehensible mess. I worked at a movie theater when it was released, I've seen it dozens of times, and I still can't sum up the plot without a healthy dose of "shut up, it's Star Wars." I'd be super interested to get a look at how that movie was made. From the outside, it seems like they wrote a bunch of big action scenes and then tried to write them into a plot in the most convoluted fashion possible.

    4 votes
    1. DonQuixote
      Link Parent
      Saw it Saturday. I haven't seen half of the background movies, but it was a great followup to Infinity Wars. And funny as hell. Unfortunately even the jokes are spoilers. So Nuff's Said. As a...

      Saw it Saturday. I haven't seen half of the background movies, but it was a great followup to Infinity Wars. And funny as hell. Unfortunately even the jokes are spoilers. So Nuff's Said. As a Marvel reader from back when that was all there was, it was heartwarming to see the audience reactions to what was basically the pinnacle of what Stan Lee gave us those years ago.

      3 votes
    2. [2]
      Eabryt
      Link Parent
      Man, as someone who was in elementary school when The Phantom Menace came out (and I can't remember if it was my first Star Wars film) it still holds a special place in my heart. In comparison to...

      Man, as someone who was in elementary school when The Phantom Menace came out (and I can't remember if it was my first Star Wars film) it still holds a special place in my heart.

      In comparison to all the other original 6, yeah, it's not great, but as a little kid action movie who doesn't really care about plot, I loved it and can't tell you how long I would pretend to be a Jedi and play make-believe with my friends.

      1 vote
      1. emnii
        Link Parent
        I get it. It's a kids movie for sure, more than any of the other movies in the series. No one should give you any shit for remembering it fondly. It was made for you at that time. I don't think...

        I get it. It's a kids movie for sure, more than any of the other movies in the series. No one should give you any shit for remembering it fondly. It was made for you at that time.

        I don't think that's what anyone expected when it came out though. On opening night, I saw an awful lot of Star Wars fans come out puzzled at best and disappointed at worst. I had my own "what the hell was that?" reaction when I got to see it. It's not like Star Wars is high art to begin with, but a lot of people expected a movie they saw as kids that wasn't necessarily made for kids to be given a follow-up they could enjoy as adults. What they got was a movie made for their kids to enjoy. And if you didn't have kids, you got noisy, flashy nonsense.

        This is my chief complaint about the movie. If you look at anything but Anakin's story, everything around it is just gobbledy gook. There's a blockade around Naboo (where?) because the Trade Federation (who?) have some beef over... what again? And Palpatine is playing both sides, I think, but god knows what he's trying to accomplish. And he's a Sith lord but he's right up in the house of the Jedi council and they don't suspect a thing, for some reason. But Ani's got midichlorians off the charts, whatever the fuck those are. It's the kind of plot that someone wrote in a fever dream to look clever and intricate but it's just a mess. The film fails to make it work, and none of the other prequels help. But I'm an idiot because I'm trying to make a kids movie live up to my adult expectations when I should shut up and enjoy the ride.

        3 votes
  5. [2]
    actionscripted
    Link
    [spoilers] Finally watched A Star is Born. It was really good and didn't lean on cliches and tropes as much as I'd expected even though I suppose that's the whole framework of the movie. So,...

    [spoilers]

    Finally watched A Star is Born. It was really good and didn't lean on cliches and tropes as much as I'd expected even though I suppose that's the whole framework of the movie. So, rather, it leaned on them but it never felt heavy-handed or obvious.

    I spent most of the movie assuming things were going to go sideways for one character (addiction, suicide, murder) when really it went full-tilt for the one who clearly had a problem the whole time.

    Bradley's acting was amazing and his singing was solid, Gaga's acting was solid and her singing was amazing.

    Only real issue for me was how they'd sort of warp around in time/space without explaining anything. Like, all of a sudden Jack is in a bush near the street at his friend's house? Or something? She's performing his song...a week later? A year? Maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention to things.

    4 votes
    1. tomf
      Link Parent
      If you haven't already, its worth watching the other iterations of A Star is Born. They follow the same basic structure, but each has its own strength and weaknesses. A Star is Born (2018, Lady...

      If you haven't already, its worth watching the other iterations of A Star is Born. They follow the same basic structure, but each has its own strength and weaknesses.

      3 votes
  6. [3]
    Don_Camillo
    Link
    I rewatched the Matrix trilogy, expecting to get some good old memories crushed. But I was pleasantly surprised how well it kept up with time and my sharper eye for the quality of movies. The...

    I rewatched the Matrix trilogy, expecting to get some good old memories crushed. But I was pleasantly surprised how well it kept up with time and my sharper eye for the quality of movies.

    The action is still amazing in every title. The cgi is amazingly well done and only in the last one a bit over the top. There are some much to long and boring scenes in both sequels somwhere in the beginning, but as soon as the action picks up they are forgotten. The first one is tense and interesting throughout the whole movie and deserves to be called a classic!
    The general Disign of the sets, costumes and enemies is really really well done.

    It was a really nice experience and it made me aware of how misunderstood The Rule Of Cool in a lot of action movies today is.

    The only question I still have is, does Keanu Reeves have muscles in his face?
    He is just terrible and i was happily surprised how good his last scene with trinity was. Might have something to do with not being able to see his eyes ;-)

    3 votes
    1. [2]
      aphoenix
      Link Parent
      I think Keanu Reeves is actually a pretty good actor - not great, but good. I think that you can see this in some other things he is in - John Wick, Constantine, To The Bone. I think they...

      I think Keanu Reeves is actually a pretty good actor - not great, but good. I think that you can see this in some other things he is in - John Wick, Constantine, To The Bone. I think they generally required him to have that stilted "Neo" face on most of the time. Even in the first Matrix movie, I think he did a pretty good job in the transition from Mr. Anderson to Neo - Mr. Anderson freaks out when he loses his mouth, and is clearly terrified, he freaks out when the bug thing is real, but he transitions into Neo and starts acting less real as a person, despite the fact that he is more real.

      I've probably overthought that.

      3 votes
      1. Don_Camillo
        Link Parent
        I think you are right. His transformation from mr. Anderson to neo is subtle but noticable and well done. Its just that he is not really able to express emotions, or to make me as a viewer feel...

        I think you are right. His transformation from mr. Anderson to neo is subtle but noticable and well done. Its just that he is not really able to express emotions, or to make me as a viewer feel the emotions. Which is something, i just realize, that is matching very well with the style of "coolnes" of the movie.

        2 votes
  7. iiv
    Link
    I just watched Klūzāp, nemā-ye nazdīk (Close-up) by Abbas Kiarostami. It is an incredible film, set in Iran 1990, that tells the story of a man who impersonated a famous director. The cool thing,...

    I just watched Klūzāp, nemā-ye nazdīk (Close-up) by Abbas Kiarostami. It is an incredible film, set in Iran 1990, that tells the story of a man who impersonated a famous director. The cool thing, though, is that it consists of his real trial.

    During the trial he explains his motive for impersonating the director, and we get flashbacks to the scenes he is talking about. The scenes are recreated by himself, and the people he tricked. The actors are the people that are were involved in his fraud.

    I think it's an incredible idea, and very well executed.

    3 votes
  8. [2]
    NecrophiliaChocolate
    Link
    Are we allowed to talk about TV shows here? I am really enjoying Barry a lot, been watching since season 1 was airing; amazing acting and writing, I look forward to it the most every week. I am...

    Are we allowed to talk about TV shows here? I am really enjoying Barry a lot, been watching since season 1 was airing; amazing acting and writing, I look forward to it the most every week. I am trying to get my friends to watch it, none of them have. Warrior is really cool, it really does feel like I am a kid again, watching Jacky Chan and Bruce Lee films, wonderful show. Game of Thrones this week was also great, my favorite episode of the season, not gonna say anymore for the sake of spoilers.

    I watched Avengers Endgame this week, definitely a good movie. I kept my expectations pretty low, so I am happy with the movie, it was a good payoff. Really interesting contrast to the airport scene in Civil War. I would give it a solid 6 or 7/10.

    1 vote
  9. [2]
    Comment removed by site admin
    Link
    1. Fierre
      Link Parent
      Oh man, I was right about to write something about Sorry to Bother You! That is such a great film. I saw it a few weeks ago and it’s been on my mind ever since. It’s a masterful movie.

      Oh man, I was right about to write something about Sorry to Bother You! That is such a great film. I saw it a few weeks ago and it’s been on my mind ever since. It’s a masterful movie.

      3 votes