What Is The Last Film You Watched?

[Quintus 5,399]

I can't actually remember an action sequence from BB, I just remember really enjoying everything else.

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

Batman Begins is a film that shows the director is completely clueless to how to handle action, TDK is better at it, but only slight. Inception looks like Nolan might have figured it out. Or at least copies the Matrix.

According to a friend who has seen it, there is one changing gravity fight scene which is as good as anything in The Matrix, but Nolan is as clueless as ever in the others.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

The action scenes are fantastic. Great use of slow motion, which can't be said for a lot of films that use it. *couch*Zach Snyder*cough*

[Quintus 5,399]

Here fishy fishy...

[JoeinAR 1,949]

The action scenes are fantastic. Great use of slow motion, which can't be said for a lot of films that use it. *couch*Zach Snyder*cough*

well Watchman is a horrible film on so many levels. It doesn't even have the decency to be entertaining in it's badness.

[A24 4,327]

There was hardly any slow motion in Watchmen. I'm sure the action scenes of Inception are impressive but ... knowing Nolan it's all close-up and fast editing.

[Red 75]

There was hardly any slow motion in Watchmen.

Are you kidding? There was slo-mo (and fast-mo) in just about every single fight scene in Watchmen, and it was of course all over 300. Snyder does not understand the concept of subtlety.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Slow motion is synonymous with Snyder and Bay.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

I actually liked Inception for its talky nature, not the bullshit action.

By the way, listen to Edward Shearmur's "Reign of Fire" and tell me that would not be a better fit than Zimmer's ho-hum I'm bored to tears score for the movie.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Inception is this years overrated movie. I thought it was nice to look at though I'm so tired of washed out color pallets. I thought Nolan was finally figuring out how to film action, but I was clearly wrong. Joseph Gordon Levitt steals the movie. Ken Wantannabe and Tom Hardy both are terrific. DiCaprio never elevates his character. Again he's playing damaged goods. Ellen Page is the guide to this movie. She makes everything click, like the paper-clip in WINDOWS.

Hans Zimmers score is HORRIBLE.

[indy4 155]

I just saw Inception. It was great! This and Shutter Island are easily the best films I've seen this year (I'd take Shutter Island over Inception, but it's close), Leo knows how to pick 'em. And Zimmer's score was great. Definitely something I'll try to get, if I can find it really cheap.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

And Zimmer's score was great. Definitely something I'll try to get, if I can find it really cheap.

Ta-da!

[indy4 155]

And Zimmer's score was great. Definitely something I'll try to get, if I can find it really cheap.

Ta-da!

I'm talking really cheap. I just spent 80 bucks on one CD, plus La La Land hints at more Williams titles to come? I need some time to build funds. Inception will likely be a long term goal of mine.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Ah, gotcha.

[Demondm810 399]

Jesus, you guys should stick to talking about film scores. I'm starting to choke on the cynicism in this thread.

[Trent B 337]

Stargate SG-1: Children Of The Gods (the final cut)

This is the pilot episode for SG-1, and I do like it a bit better than when it originally aired. All though I noticed for some of the music they did a bit of tracking from Stargate Continuum.

I also noticed in regards to the episode itself that there was a couple of lines between O'Neill and Carter after they go through the gate the first time. I remember O'Neill walking up to Carter and Carter says, "I think I'm gonna be sick" or something in that regards and O'Neill replies, "It'll pass in a moment".

I also noticed they edited out the full frontal naked body of Sha'uri (Daniels wife). I was told though that originally the creators never wanted to show her completely naked like that and that was something the Showtime producers wanted or something in that regards. I also noticed that at the end too I think they cut the part out where one of the larva Go'auld enters Major Kawlaski. I thought that was a very important part considering that it leads up to the next episode.

Anyways, besides noticing those differences over all I do like the final cut a lot better and it is nice to hear Joel Goldsmith's score restored and no tracking of David Arnold's music from the original film. I always thought the tracking they did of Arnold's score was severely out of place and didn't mesh with the visuals very well.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

The Rock. Watching this now after seeing Bay's career pan out is like watching Hot Shots. It's hilariously awful, and gets funnier with every terrible line. And boy is that hairdresser scene a misstep.

[Quintus 5,399]

Fun movie though.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

Absolutely.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Inception. Cool movie. Worth seeing.

Action scenes mostly stunk. The best was the money shot we should all have seen in the promotional material where Joseph Gordon-Levitt is in a zero-gravity corridor. I didn't care for the music. We had a real problem at our theater where the overbearing bass was making it seriously difficult to hear the dialogue (had the same problem with TDK). I'm an unabashed Leo fanboy. He's been my favorite actor for over a decade. He turns in a fairly average performance here. It didn't help that his character and arc was quite similar to Shutter Island. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and clone Picard stole the show. I wish the movie had focused more on them. For a significant chunk of film time, Joseph was literally and disappointingly just floating around. Mucho techno/psycho-babble throughout. I'll need to re-watch it to exactly understand what the hell was going on at points. There's also an alpine chase sequence straight out of 007.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I just saw Inception. It was great! This and Shutter Island are easily the best films I've seen this year (I'd take Shutter Island over Inception, but it's close), Leo knows how to pick 'em. And Zimmer's score was great. Definitely something I'll try to get, if I can find it really cheap.

you're easily impressed. Shutter Island is not quite terrible but it's close. Inception is much better but it's Jack playing the same role again. He washes up from the titanic sinking and is damaged goods. Hopefully Leo wont be winning an Oscar for either of these overrated films. And Zimmer's score is great. Really, REALLY?

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Leo's performance in Shutter Island was much better because of the neurotic state he enters and a pivotal emotional scene at the end that stays with you. He was able to flex his acting muscles a lot more.

The twist/open ending is virtually the same as in Shutter Island. What the hell?

[Brónach 1,301]

I rewatched Firefly and I still think it's the best space opera of the decade.

Now I'm struggling to watch The Thin Red Line, North By Northwest and Psycho, but I'm having trouble with the subtitles in my DVD player.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Now I'm struggling to watch The Thin Red Line, North By Northwest and Psycho, but I'm having trouble with the subtitles in my DVD player.

The Thin Red Line finally has a Blu-ray upgrade in September. There hasn't been a single rerelease since the DVD first came out in the 90s.

[John Crichton 4]

I rewatched Firefly and I still think it's the best space opera of the decade.

Now I'm struggling to watch The Thin Red Line, North By Northwest and Psycho, but I'm having trouble with the subtitles in my DVD player.

for Firefly.

From what I remember from the theater The Thin Red Line is just a struggle to watch, period.

[Quintus 5,399]

Just got back from Inception, which after a genuinely intriguing and good first hour quickly devolved into bland rubbish. For a movie about dreams; it has surprisingly very little imagination - I mean, these are surely the most boring dreams a person could possibly have. Corporate espionage in the city? Zzzzzzzzz. The snowy finale was outright ridiculous, coming off as a daft homage to a Call of Duty videogame and Die Hard 2, which incidentally, Die Hard 2 does better. Honestly, I was bored by this movie and would've walked out had I been alone. The endlessly repetitive DiCaprio back story dragged out for what seemed like forever, I didn't care for him and by the end I was completely indifferent towards his character's arc. I say this as a big fan of his too. Other characters faired better, but I still didn't care. Apart from one novelty fight sequence, the action was unbelievably boring and tired: if you have seen stuff like Patriot Games, Lethal Weapon and the aforementioned Die Hard 2 then you have already seen the action sequences in this movie and may I just point out that in none of those movies does the action feel as forced and pointless as it does here, indeed - I got the impression that the action in this movie was just a necessary means to an end. I won't even mention the unintentional laughs and sniggers from one or two in the audience (myself and the girlfriend included) during one scene involving

floating wire-bound bodies

...

Chief offender in all things plot device-like though was the fucking in-your-face bad

falling van

, which of all things reminded me of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom - the sequence were Indy is on the conveyor belt as he endlessly nears the rock crusher. In that movie such a [cheap] mechanic for tension is fun and perfectly acceptable, but in a dead serious movie like Inception it's downright offensive and it was at that point that I was closest to walking. What made matters worse was the fact that each reminder shot of the

falling van

only served to remind me of how much longer I had to endure of this fucking movie before it would end and I'd be able to go home.

Which leaves me with Hans Zimmer and his score. Serviceable and generic. Could've been the score to any number of his other movies. The man continues to write utterly uneventful production line pap.

So yeah, for it's pretty good first hour, I give Inception 2 out of 5 stars. Don't waste your time and stick with Total Recall.

[A24 4,327]

Holy sh!t, that's quite rebellious of you, Quint!

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

I'd rather re-watch it on Blu-ray so I can fiddle with the sound and actually hear the dialogue over the irritating sustained pounding bass rhythms.

Also, I'm just tired of going to the cinema. People do not shut the hell up throughout or cease fiddling with their phones. It's the kind of thing that makes me despise the modern era, phones illuminated throughout the theater while you're trying to enjoy a movie. Home theater seems to have completely spoiled me. No, I don't watch my films on a gigantic screen. But they still look crisper and even sound better. Cinema screens are blurry and the 5.1, 6.1 or whatever the hell they have isn't even really noticeable or enjoyable like on home video. The experience isn't even there anymore--I go to a theater because it's currently the only place to catch a certain film.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

Can't wait to see it.

[Quintus 5,399]

I could hear the dialogue perfectly fine. It was serviceable, like a Koepp screenplay.

Holy sh!t, that's quite rebellious of you, Quint!

I prefer to call it honesty. Other populist movies I have no time for include Minority Report, Spiderman and War of the Worlds. Freakishly, I tend to prefer good movies over substandard ones!!!

[Red 75]

Inception was incredible. Hopefully it'll be the movie that finally earns Nolan some serious recognition from the Academy, but at best it'll be remembered as a masterpiece that was a breakthrough for science fiction and will be debated for years to come.

[Quintus 5,399]

I doubt that. I mean, it ain't no Blade Runner.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

I think Inception could have used a bit more FUN. Shinzon and Levitt seemed to be the only ones taking any joy in wandering around Nolan's wonderland. They were the ones I felt the most human connection with. Leo was almost like a zombie interpretation of himself.

[Quintus 5,399]

I thought Ken Watanabe and Joseph Gordon-Levitt were the best things about it. I really enjoyed their contributions.

[Red 75]

I doubt that. I mean, it ain't no Blade Runner.

Not to you maybe, but the level of analysis and debate I've seen people partake in with this film suggests it has had that kind of a connection with audiences. I mean when I saw it after it was over complete strangers were discussing it in the theater; you don't see that very often.

[Quintus 5,399]

Thematically it was interesting and the outline itself was up there with the best that sci-fi has to offer, but the execution was old hat and I've already mentioned its terminal lack of imagination. A film about dreams (ESPECIALLY the 'stealing' of them) has the awesome potential to be as bizarre as Lynch and as crazy as Gilliam, but ho hum it seems Nolan is really into his corporate politics and all the wild fantastical opportunities that provides!

[indy4 155]

I got the impression that the action in this movie was just a necessary means to an end.

I'd like action scenes that can stand on their own also, but in the context of a film I'd rather the film be more interested in plot and theme than action. I'd want to avoid films that seem to meander from place to place just so they can setup the next action scene. The best is an action scene that is both a means to an end and an end in itself--things like the desert chase, the asteroid field, etc. But if I need to pick, especially for a film that's as serious as Inception, I'd rather flat action scenes than flat substance.

Having said that, I agree that the action could have been much better.

[Red 75]

I just don't understand how could look at for example the anti-gravity hallway fight and call the action flat. But oh well, diff'rent strokes.

[Quintus 5,399]

In Inception's case, the action was clearly injected for the sole purpose of breaking up the extended exposition - specifically to alleviate potential pacing problems.

Case in point:

The 'defenders' or 'projections' of Cillian Murphy's character's mind during the time spent in his dreams were clearly a device inserted to spruce things up a bit and give the audience more than just dialogue to get them through it.

If they hadn't been there, there would've been no other opportunities for the "required" action at the intervals audiences have sadly come to expect. Therefore it all felt terribly contrived, to me. The fact that the baddies in those scenes were the worst kind of faceless Bondesque henchmen didn't exactly help matters.

I just don't understand how could look at for example the anti-gravity hallway fight and call the action flat. But oh well, diff'rent strokes.

That was the "novelty" sequence I referred to in my review rant above. Probably the movie's best sequence.

[Red 75]

It was there for story purposes too, specifically when Ken Wantanabe's character is injured and when Murphy's character is killed. It was also there to further explore DiCaprio's character; the projections attacking them weren't Fisher's, they were Cobb's.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

I just want to point out that Blade Runner is shit.

As is Firefly.

Anyways, Inception was a decent couple of hours of entertainment. The greatest film since sliced bread? No. Just a good film that I wouldn't mind watching again. The action could all be cut out and it would be a great film.

Thematically it was interesting and the outline itself was up there with the best that sci-fi has to offer, but the execution was old hat and I've already mentioned its terminal lack of imagination. A film about dreams (ESPECIALLY the 'stealing' of them) has the awesome potential to be as bizarre as Lynch and as crazy as Gilliam, but ho hum it seems Nolan is really into his corporate politics and all the wild fantastical opportunities that provides!

What Quint means he wants damned Unicorns and purple hippos that fart rainbows prancing around in the city. I thought the stylistic direction of the movie was great, and I enjoyed the subtle nature of it. I can't remember the last time I had a dream about prancing unicorn's, but Quint is a special boy. So...

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

Cinema screens are blurry

The good ones arent, there have been ones where I've just been absolutely astonished at how much detail was thrown onscreen. Perhaps its a digital projector?

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Don't know but it's hit or miss. I could see Spock's 5 o'clock shadow in Star Trek 2009. Avatar and Alice in Wonderland looked good on IMAX. But nothing since has looked any good to me.

[Datameister 2,037]

In my experience, the projections in theaters are generally very clear. In fact, the resolution is one of the biggest concrete advantages over home viewing - including when the projection is digital.

[Demondm810 399]

The Sony 4K digital theaters are amazing.

Saw Inception on one last night. I think it's a great film. However, I think Nolan has gotten a little pretentious as of late (perhaps deserved one could argue). I think the ending (without spoiling it) was the one thing I didn't like at all. Seemed like a lazy, novice type attempt to make the movie seem more intelligent than it really is. Which is genuinely uncharacteristic of Nolan, as his movies seem to play out almost surgically.

[indy4 155]

I loved the ending. I thought it was one of the strongest points of the film.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

The ending was indicative of a distinct lack of direction. "Let's please everyone!"

I'm a stupid person, I don't want to sit around and discuss what it all means. Give me a fracking ending!

Y'know? It's like if an artist just didn't paint half his painting to leave it a mystery for people to discuss. The better artist can give a complete picture and still give you something to discuss.

[Quintus 5,399]

Blum, the only thing I can summise from your comments above regarding what you think I wanted from the dreams in Inception is that you must have dreams just as balls to the wall boring as Nolan. Yes, I admit: my own personal dreams don't usually involve fellas in finely tailored suits walking around stark city streets, in the rain. I can't remember either the last time I dreamt that the entire stunt cast of Lethal Weapon 3 chased me down in a van.

[QMM 4]

Blum, the only thing I can summise from your comments above regarding what you think I wanted from the dreams in Inception is that you must have dreams just as balls to the wall boring as Nolan. Yes, I admit: my own personal dreams don't usually involve fellas in finely tailored suits walking around stark city streets, in the rain. I can't remember either the last time I dreamt that the entire stunt cast of Lethal Weapon 3 chased me down in a van.

It sounds like you're faulting the design instead of the story, since they explain that they can't make the dream worlds crazy otherwise the mark will realize it's a dream. It seems like it's different strokes for different folks, though.

Nolan is a highly literal-minded filmmaker, and his depiction of dreams reflects that. He makes no attempt to capture a dreamlike atmosphere or aesthetic, and if he does, that is undoubtedly the film’s greatest failure. His approach to dreams is to literalize them as a hard reality, and the end result is one that feels less like a dream and more like a computer program or a level of a video game.

For the most part, reality in Inception is altered more by how the sleeping bodies of those dreaming are being affected than by anything conjured up in the dream world. While I admire Nolan for steering away from the fantastical and playing Inception as straight sci-fi, others may find the dreams to be awfully bland and wish he had been a bit more capricious. It’s arguable that this exposes a flaw in Nolan’s filmmaking style, which had previously only benefited him—his technique is workmanlike and analytical, always detail-oriented and generally reliant on a staid setting. Even when he’s afforded limitless opportunities to break from reality, he only rarely indulges those whims. (This could also be deemed a positive though, as someone like myself would not have been able to resist the urge to introduce velociraptors into the mix.)

from this review

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Look! I'm sorry Little Bunny Foo Foo didn't get a cameo, but it's not worth it to lose sleep over this, Quint!