Chen G. 3,984 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 The seperate parts of what is - in my book - one Lord of the Rings film (and yes, its applicable to films like Infinity War/Endgame, Pirates of the Caribbean 2/3, Harry Potter 7/8, etc...) have their own ebb-and-flow just like any individual setpieces contained within each of them may have an internal ebb, flow, climax and denoument. For instance, each half of any one of The Lord of the Rings films has its own internal structure (not unlike 60s epics) and even individual sequences like Moria or Helm's Deep do. Hell, one of the critiques leveled against some of those concurrent productions is that at least one of the individual parts often does lack individuality indeed. Infinity War, for instance, has most certainly been called a half-movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Nick Parker 3,040 Posted April 20, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted April 20, 2019 2 minutes ago, Chen G. said: The seperate parts of what is - in my book - one Lord of the Rings film (and yes, its applicable to films like Infinity War/Endgame, Pirates of the Caribbean 2/3, Harry Potter 7/8, etc...) have their own ebb-and-flow just like any individual setpieces contained within each of them may have an internal ebb, flow, climax and denoument. Chen, if you're gonna tell a dude to lighten up, don't get engaged with them in a debate on the nuances of multi-part narrative fifteen minutes later. Chen G., Holko and SteveMc 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 48 minutes ago, JoeinAR said: I would be interested in seeing a list of 5 films we could each take to an island. Only I am strict. 5 films. Not Lotr and count it as 1 as many here would do. Its 3 movies. Same with Potter or Indy. I like it, not a bad idea for a thread. 42 minutes ago, Chen G. said: Not a right comparison. The one was written, previsualized, shot and largely assembled in one go and presented as three parts; the others (with the exception of the last two Harry Potter entries) were made as separate productions, often with different creative teams. 9 minutes ago, Chen G. said: The seperate parts of what is - in my book - one Lord of the Rings film (and yes, its applicable to films like Infinity War/Endgame, Pirates of the Caribbean 2/3, Harry Potter 7/8, etc...) have their own ebb-and-flow just like any individual setpieces contained within each of them may have an internal ebb, flow, climax and denoument. Abort Abort, thread idea cancelled. Kill me now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chen G. 3,984 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 Oh no, a discussion! Who could have imagined the horror?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 Are you always like this though? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chen G. 3,984 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 What, up for talking about stuff? on a discussion board no less? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 Talking about the content of the movies themselves would be great of course, but wading through your boring semantics wouldn't be, no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chen G. 3,984 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 To each his own. I find those academic discussions about finer points very interesting. It wasn't my idea, anyway. Joe brought the point up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 2 minutes ago, Chen G. said: I find those academic discussions about finer points very interesting. Oh god JoeinAR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 32 minutes ago, Chen G. said: The seperate parts of what is - in my book - one Lord of the Rings film (and yes, its applicable to films like Infinity War/Endgame, Pirates of the Caribbean 2/3, Harry Potter 7/8, etc...) have their own ebb-and-flow just like any individual setpieces contained within each of them may have an internal ebb, flow, climax and denoument. Hell, one of the critiques leveled against some of those concurrent productions is that at least one of the individual parts often does lack individuality indeed. Infinity War, for instance, has most certainly been called a half-movie. Jesus Fucking Christ is all I got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 15 minutes ago, Quintus said: Oh god Movie discussion in the Millennial age mate, better get used to it. JoeinAR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 Aye. This is JWFan: The Next Generation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 I'll wait for JWFan: Deep Space Nine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 I have trouble abiding such ingnorance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 6 minutes ago, JoeinAR said: I have trouble abiding such ingnorance. Its just a difference of opinion though. No real damage is done. Chen G. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 1 hour ago, Chen G. said: If I were stuck on a desert island, i would take 1. The Lord of the Rings, (Fellowship of the Rings, The Two Towers, Return of the King), 2. The Godfather (parts 1, 2, & 3), 3.Harry Potter(Philosopher's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, The Half Blood Prince, Deathly Hallows, Parts 1 & 2, 4. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade(the best part) but not Kingdom of the Crystal skull, I do have standards. #5 would be a guilty pleasure Final Destination, FD 2, 3, The Final Destination, and FD 5. Those would be my 5 film choices. How 5 becomes 22 #fake post. Chen G. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 Though i can't fault Chen's zealous reasoning as such, i still find his peculiar obsession with shallow boys blockbusters extremely fishy. I just can't picture a guy who scholarly wades through film history and then evangelizes people about the profound brilliance of 'Braveheart' and 'Gladiator'. This Top 22 activates my fishy-meter even more. Chen G. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 19 minutes ago, Stefancos said: Its just a difference of opinion though. No real damage is done. It's not really though. Joey was suggesting an entirely different subject to Chen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glóin the Dark 1,229 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 Five? Amadeus (Milos Forman, 1984) Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941) Midnight Run (Martin Brest, 1988) Oh, Mr Porter! (Marcel Varnel, 1937) 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968) SteveMc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bollemanneke 3,362 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 Terminator Salvation. I'm surprised they manage to keep the story this interesting after four films. Not that it was ever dull, I just didn't expect this one to be as engaging as it was. I only didn't really like the romance between Marcus and Blair, and killing that last Terminator by beheading it is really cheap. I thought these things were supposed to be virtually indestructible? Danny Elfman did what he could as well. I'm still missing the original main theme, but really like Elfman's more contemplative side and some action moments weren't bad either. Chen G. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 The Ten Commandments is on ABC, like it is every Saturday night before Easter. Someone needs to do a supercut of every time Charlton Heston says the word "bondage." JoeinAR and Chen G. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wojo 2,453 Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 2 minutes ago, Disco Stu said: The Ten Commandments is on ABC, like it is every Saturday night before Easter. Someone needs to do a supercut of every time Charlton Heston says the word "bondage." This will suffice, for now. Disco Stu 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,489 Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 Party Monster This reminded me of Factory Girl in that it's basically a mediocre movie with a story that didn't need to be told about immature freeloaders in NYC, but it does feature a memorable performance. In this case, Macaulay Culkin just being flamboyant and sexy. It's a camp-fest that never really engages and certainly doesn't have any payoff, but if you can just stare at and listen to Mac for an hour and a half, here you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chen G. 3,984 Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 6 hours ago, Disco Stu said: The Ten Commandments is on ABC, like it is every Saturday night before Easter. Someone needs to do a supercut of every time Charlton Heston says the word "bondage." Cecil B. DeMille's narration is another thing. The montage in which Moses goes into Sinai was the one chance the film had (if you could call this wideshot teleplay a film) at visual storytelling, and here comes the director and decides to fill it with wall-to-wall narration which is completely redundant. **1/2 out of ***** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweeping Strings 2,384 Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 Easter double-bill. Hehehe. Life Of Brian - now 40 years old, and still as irreverently hilarious as ever. Peerless religious satire. Nude Nuns With Big Guns - the sort of thing that probably plays in Tarantino's head when he has a fever, this low-budget 'nunsploitation' flick is heavy on the gratuitous nudity, violence and bad gringos. Perfect late-night-with-beer 'mantertainment'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 5 hours ago, Sweeping Strings said: Life Of Brian - now 40 years old, and still as irreverently hilarious as ever. Peerless religious satire. Sorry, you're gonna have to be banned now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 Ben Hur on the perfect day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,357 Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 Shut In (2016) Steals from The Shining like there's no tomorrow. 3/10 The Stranger (1946) It's been ages since I've seen a really old movie. I didn't find much to like in this one but it was watchable, I guess. 5/10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post SteveMc 2,674 Posted April 22, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted April 22, 2019 Jaws Spielberg's economy of effective visual storytelling here is most remarkable. There is an effortlessness that is missing in Spielberg's later work. Which is not to say he did not have to wring this one out of himself. It's just that it looks and feels so effortless, spontaneous, natural. And, of course, the dialogue and acting are pretty much perfect. The film works so very well even without the music. Williams takes things to a whole new level altogether. Now for some ramblings on why this one is so engaging and effective. Chesterton said that the essence of great storytelling is to put ordinary characters in extraordinary situations. That is what Spielberg does here with Brody. But, Spielberg brings things down to earth. In lieu of the dragon and the princess, we have the terrifyingly relatable shark going after beach goers. Brody, the everyman with the wife, the kids, and the responsibility must faceoff with this extraordinary threat. Others may be in denial. Or really on their knowledge. Or flamboyant experience. But only the everyman is able to slay the beast, after absorbing lessons and overcoming inner hurdles. Why? Because only the everyman, by nature, has what it takes. He needs a trial to get it out of him. Spielberg, crucially, takes an interesting turn. He brought the dragon down to earth, but he does not stop there. He makes a concession as it were, in the person of Quint. Quint is larger than life, almost fantastic. He is a living myth that guides and frustrates those more down to earth, steals scenes, and has the audience wanting more. The juxtaposition of the real with the epic is absolutely brilliant. Jaws may very well be the quintessential American film. You would certainly be hard-pressed to find one where high and low art are more seamlessly blended. 4/4 also: the shark is just fine, thank you Chen G., Glóin the Dark, John and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Illustrious Jerry 3,356 Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 Easily my favourite Spielberg film, yeah. Love the cinematography too (the ostium of that legendary "zoom-in while moving the camera backwards" technique) , and between a great script (so many memorable lines in it too!) and splendid acting, it's really one of my favourite films of all time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 It is my second favorite film of all time and my second favorite SS film. E.T. the Extra-terrestrial number 1 for 37 years and counting. The Illustrious Jerry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John 2,032 Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 It’s a darn near perfect movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,137 Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 They really couldn't have done more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,489 Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 It's alright, but Munich is Spielberg's best film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 2 minutes ago, Ghostbusters II said: It's alright, but Munich is Spielberg's best film. No its a terrible film. Ss makes a snuff film. The last scene is an insult to decent human beings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,489 Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 My mistake. I meant A.I. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 You mean the SS version of The Never Ending Story? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,489 Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 Obviously I meant Hook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Illustrious Jerry 3,356 Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 21 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said: They really couldn't have done more. Are you quite finished? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 You mean the one with the star whose net worth was between 50 and 100 million dollars because he was depressed and had Parkinson's much like Michael J Fox except unlike Michael J Fox he cowardly killed himself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,137 Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 6 minutes ago, The Illustrious Jerry said: Are you quite finished? Still at the toilet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chen G. 3,984 Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 Unforgiven (1992, directed by Clint Eastwood) This is a great example of how a film can benefit from not having a lot of plot to tell. Insteaf of focusing on plot mechanics, it can very leisurely explore its theme and drive it into the audience's minds. "shooting a gun from the 1800s ain't what you thought it was, folks", "killing people isn't what you think it is", "riding across the country on horseback isn't what you think it is", "cowboys and sherifs aren't what you thought they are", etcetra.Its absolutely woven into every strand of the film's fabric. Richard Harris portrays English Bob, perhaps the living embodiment of the classic Western which this film is trying so hard to unpack. His inclusion is thematically significant, but I still wish it tied more closely into the main plot. Oh well... ****1/2 out of ***** John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,137 Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 Nice main theme as well. Chen G. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bollemanneke 3,362 Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 Closer. The men are cast perfectly (especially Clive Owen) and are jerks. Julia Roberts is great, but I didn't really like Natalie Portman in this one. Not that she wasn't good, but everyone is just really weird and annoying. I sincerely hope this wasn't based on or inspired by real people. Speaking of weird, the movie does strange things with time: there are huge gaps that we only find out about through dialogue and that makes them even more unreal. What the hell, they're breaking up AGAIN? Stop it already, now it's just getting absurd. The score is short and doesn't work. The classical music during the online sex session was particularly jarring and someone needs to re-record the first (and last) song and pretend the original was never made. Posterity will be grateful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 JaWsFan.com SteveMc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted April 24, 2019 Share Posted April 24, 2019 8 hours ago, Chen G. said: Unforgiven (1992, directed by Clint Eastwood) This is a great example of how a film can benefit from not having a lot of plot to tell. Insteaf of focusing on plot mechanics, it can very leisurely explore its theme and drive it into the audience's minds. "shooting a gun from the 1800s ain't what you thought it was, folks", "killing people isn't what you think it is", "riding across the country on horseback isn't what you think it is", "cowboys and sherifs aren't what you thought they are", etcetra.Its absolutely woven into every strand of the film's fabric. Richard Harris portrays English Bob, perhaps the living embodiment of the classic Western which this film is trying so hard to unpack. His inclusion is thematically significant, but I still wish it tied more closely into the main plot. Oh well... ****1/2 out of ***** This, to me, is Gene Hackman's movie. His 'I just built this house' scene is great. Chen G. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted April 24, 2019 Share Posted April 24, 2019 Has anyone seen the Japanese remake with Ken Watanabe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweeping Strings 2,384 Posted April 24, 2019 Share Posted April 24, 2019 Happy Death Day - if Groundhog Day had been a slasher flick, it might have been something like this. A bitchy sorority girl is killed on campus on the night of her birthday, and then finds herself reliving the day again and again. She sets out to discover who kills her and why, in order to stop them and break free from the 'loop'. Quite inventive, and with a nice streak of humour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post The Illustrious Jerry 3,356 Posted April 24, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted April 24, 2019 FOR A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS I think I've determined now that the director-actor-composer trio of Leone, Eastwood and Morricone is one of the greatest such trios in the history of film, at least in terms of memorability. Although I've gone about the Dollars Trilogy in a scrambled order, starting with The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, each of these three films works pretty well as a standalone, although each does lend character development and key traits into each other. At the end of viewing all three, there was not much that I needed to stitch together, and the connections were not difficult to make. So let's get right into the ostium of The Man With No Name! Leone's impeccable style is genre-defining. Although I've been sweeping through westerns left, right and centre lately (some spaghetti, others classic American) I haven't really seen that many. Nonetheless, it's quite easy to tell that what is being viewed is at the top of it's class. The script is yet another strong point, with so many memorable lines coming from the stoic Eastwood and company. Leone's directorial style is amplified by the cinematography of Massimo Dallamano, who sets the stage for the series with stunning landscape shots, pressing close-ups, and visual storytelling. The Man With No Name can often stand to be a man of few words, hell, expressions even, because the telling signs of intention, emotion, focus, and motive are woven deeper into the fabric of the film than just in simple looks and lines. That being said, it's nothing to take too seriously. It's fun, it's clever, and it's made for popcorn and Saturday afternoons. The plot, specifically, introduces the mysterious rider (Clint Eastwood) who walks into a grim Southern town, where the best jobs are coffin maker and bandit. There are two leading gangs, and the Man ends up working both sides of the table by pitting each against the other on numerous occasions, work doubly on the inside. He ends up making a pretty penny, and (SPOILERS) gets the feuding sides killed off in the end. Morricone composed another trademark theme, owning each shot it appears in with the titoli whistling theme. Additives, such as the male voices and what's literally two pieces of wood, are clinchers. RATING: **** out of ***** (Prepare three stars.....My mistake, four.) CONSENSUAL STATEMENT: "My mule liked this film. Genre-defining fun." -Jerry Ii2, SteveMc and Muad'Dib 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chen G. 3,984 Posted April 24, 2019 Share Posted April 24, 2019 7 minutes ago, The Illustrious Jerry said: Although I've gone about the Dollars Trilogy in a scrambled order, starting with The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, each of these three films works pretty well as a standalone They are standalone. There's zero continuity between the three. Its a "trilogy" unified by genre and style, not by plot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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