Quintus 5,399 Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 Both are endlessly watchable, but only one is a true cult classic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurmm 91 Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 Godzilla (2014). Perhaps the best monster blockbuster since... Jurassic Park? Extremely well paced, with a slew of nods and winks to JP, and some stunning set-pieces -- the opening sequence, the first MUTO awakening (closest thing we will ever get to the T-Rex escape), the bridge attack, and a wholly satisfying monster-on-monster carnage in the final battle, culminating in possibly the coolest monster kill in the history of cinema. It really helps that they filmed this almost entirely from the eye level of a bystander. It's one of the very few monster movies which captures the scale and size of the creatures. The human characters didn't bother me. They are there to simply anchor the point that we are powerless. About the only negative I can think of is Bryan Cranston, who really overacts here. Oh and killer opening titles too with fantastic music. I remember thinking it was Giacchino in Cloverfield mode... 4.5/5 Chen G. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 Overboard This is one of those remakes that threatens to be far worse than it really is. It's certainly not good, but it gave me a good giggle or two. Who the hell is the guy in this? Was it made mostly for a Spanish audience? It reminds me of that 1931 Spanish remake of Dracula the way it seems like they just zombied an existing script/film and simply reshot it. It amuses me how mainstream American cinema likes to portray poor people - not as ghetto poor, but kinda cutesy poor, a jovial single mum working several jobs with three well behaved kids living in a huge house that just needs a fixer-upper or two. In the old one, Kurt Russell's house looked like a friggin hillbilly house! Oh this movie has a cheeky nod to the original that suggests they're set in the same universe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt C 454 Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 The Blue Bird This is a terrible film. Fox obviously made it quickly, adding Shirley Temple in the hopes of recapturing the Wizard of Oz magic, but it’s preachy, treacly and the third-to-last scene involving unborn children comes as a real WTF moment. The Technicolor photography looks dazzling and Alfred Newman’s score is pretty, but this is a dud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,345 Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 I remember the first Overboard to be surprisingly funny. Don't understand the appraisal for the Godzilla movie with Bryan Cranston, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 The 2014 Godzilla is just an excuse to squeeze money from geeks like me on NECA and SH Monsterarts dolls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,345 Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 I remember the movie followed a military guy who was completely uninteresting. I did like the parachute scene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 1 minute ago, Alexcremers said: I remember the movie followed a military guy who was completely uninteresting. I did like the parachute scene. The script made so many bafflingly wrong decisions, and the direction was just frustratingly numb. It's one of those movies where it's praised by people who want to like it but they're just kidding themselves. But at least the title character is awe-inspiring and lives up to his name and 50-year reputation, and the score is mostly amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romão 2,274 Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 The movie was really well shot and they filmed the monsters from the same POV as if they were real animals, mostly fromt the group up, which makes everything that much more believable. But the movie itself was so dull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,345 Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 It's no substitute for the original Cloverfield, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 As for Cranston's overacting - his hamminess is exactly what the film needed more of! Why did they kill off the only actor with enough charisma to rise above the lethargic script? Chen G. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488 Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 He's not dark, disturbing, realistic or relatable enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 He was just there for five minutes to justify the marquee value to capitalise on the Breaking Bad hype. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 My favorite Spielberg film of 2003 "Hey you won an Oscar!" "Yes sir" "How come?" Gruesome Son of a Bitch 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 Ha! Never seen that before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488 Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 Back when Spielberg was still fun and had that early 2000s look also seen in the E.T. ride introduction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,550 Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 That's priceless! Is that Martin Short? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc 2,674 Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 4 hours ago, Richard said: That's priceless! Is that Martin Short? Yep. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiminy_Glick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,550 Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 Thanks, very much, Steve. Second City, eh? I think I might "take off, to the great White North"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 Watching Secret of the Ooze. I forgot just how much of a step down this movie was from the first one. Just compare the surprisingly gritty NYC crime opening of the first to the comic “New Yorkers eat a lot of pizza” montage of the second. smdh Next! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488 Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 I like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 It sucks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488 Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 It's pretty good, huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted May 25, 2019 Share Posted May 25, 2019 April O'Neil! Yeah the news lady! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 The Lost World: Jurassic Park There are some movies that have the ability to transform me into a giddy 10 year old, even at my advanced age. Unjustly maligned, The Lost World delivers exactly what one should expect. Spielberg, a master of his craft, has no pretensions. Lost World was not only a return to form, but as it would turn out, his last real popcorn movie. There's no underlying message here. At least nothing beyond what you'd take from the first movie, the lesson we already know too well. By this time, you're just in it to see more dino action. It's not really worth taking a risk on this sort of material anyway. The atmosphere is generally brooding, but there is plenty of humor. Make no mistake, this is a popcorn affair, even if the tone seems to lean more toward being a horror flick at times. The script by the remarkably hit or miss David Koepp is sharp as a tack. The rhythmic playing of Williams is incredibly agreeable. The various scenes of action and suspense are so expertly staged. You're on the edge of your seat so frequently. One wonders why Spielberg wastes his talent on boring dramas in the years since. We really have been missing out. But this wonderful time capsule will take you right back to the Spielberg we all know and love. The cast is excellent. Some of them have arcs, some are just there to be there. There are so many characters, after all. They're all joining forces in the forest of Site B just to survive. Even the cinematography is first rate, though good luck getting a compliment from me in any subsequent movies, Kaminski. I would have to say literally every aspect of this movie is an improvement over the first for me. SteveMc and Chen G. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 Gruesome Son of a Bitch 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 4 minutes ago, Dieter Stark said: The Lost World: Jurassic Park There are some movies that have the ability to transform me into a giddy 10 year old, even at my advanced age. Unjustly maligned, The Lost World delivers exactly what one should expect. Spielberg, a master of his craft, has no pretensions. Lost World was not only a return to form, but as it would turn out, his last real popcorn movie. There's no underlying message here. At least nothing beyond what you'd take from the first movie, the lesson we already know too well. By this time, you're just in it to see more dino action. It's not really worth taking a risk on this sort of material anyway. The atmosphere is generally brooding, but there is plenty of humor. Make no mistake, this is a popcorn affair, even if the tone seems to lean more toward being a horror flick at times. The script by the remarkably hit or miss David Koepp is sharp as a tack. The rhythmic playing of Williams is incredibly agreeable. The various scenes of action and suspense are so expertly staged. You're on the edge of your seat so frequently. One wonders why Spielberg wastes his talent on boring dramas in the years since. We really have been missing out. But this wonderful time capsule will take you right back to the Spielberg we all know and love. The cast is excellent. Some of them have arcs, some are just there to be there. There are so many characters, after all. They're all joining forces in the forest of Site B just to survive. Even the cinematography is first rate, though good luck getting a compliment from me in any subsequent movies, Kaminski. I would have to say literally every aspect of this movie is an improvement over the first for me. It's pretty good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 I actually heard the theme from TLW in concert last sunday. Small local orchestra, but decent performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 I remember when it came out, my friend at school was given the CD by another kid because "all it had was just noise". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 The theme for TLW is less Hollywood blockbuster (JP) and more 60s TV show a la Lost in Space and Land of the Giants. It's just got that adventurous "don't take it seriously" jazzy vibe about it that the hymnal JP does not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 There's a lot of Latin Jazzy stuff in that score, very fitting, and very effective. I'd actually would not mind hearing the themed playing on concert by a full orchestra, it should sound fucking massive live! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 The "erratic strings" middle section of the theme, I always imagine how it would sound on sax with hi-hats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 This always struck me as Williams leaning into his "Johnny T. Williams" sound. Especially when the woodwind kicks in at about 0:34. Top notch score! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 The Domestics Only good bit is the trivia that the two leads were once Lois Lane and Superman. Otherwise don't bother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,345 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 First act of this horror flick is okay, the rest of the movie is ridiculous. 2/10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 Brilliant tagline! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 First Man Did they shoot this on the moon? Sure looked real! Anyhoo was a bit of a slog, this one, but made up for it with stunning visuals and that finely grainy filmy documentary look, aiming for a different thingy to the glossiness of Apollo 13. But this Neil Armstrong bloke seemed like a grouchy, boring fella - the picked the right dude to play him it seems! SteveMc and Not Mr. Big 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 Films like this are now supposed to to introspective and low key, its more realistic and relatable than the obvious patriotic tone of films like Apollo 13 or The Right Stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Illustrious Jerry 3,356 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 It's alright. I prefer the "low key" as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 I don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Illustrious Jerry 3,356 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 In this case I most certainly do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chen G. 3,950 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 32 minutes ago, The Original said: that finely grainy filmy Well, parts of it were shot on Super-16mm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 2 minutes ago, Chen G. said: Well, parts of it were shot on Super-16mm... Yes I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chen G. 3,950 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 But for the most part, its not a film that should look too grainy. Most of it was shot in Super-35mm and some bits in 65mm IMAX. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Illustrious Jerry 3,356 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 I think that the sets and the period designs gave it that since of the time, as it should. I didn't find a great amount of shots to be grainy though. Most were very clear and vivid, in fact, save for the moon approach scenes and such. That's to be expected. On this note, I highly recommend the new documentary Apollo 11, which employs completely real footage and recordings. It was a stunner, superbly redefining the doc genre while being tremendously informative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 Why do people keep talking about grain like it's a bad thing? I liked it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chen G. 3,950 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 Depends on the amount of grain. Generally speaking, on slow 35mm film or larger the grain isn't distracting, and gives the film an organic look. On 16mm, its definitely distracting. Its why 1080p-digital looks better than 16mm, even though it technically has less detail. I like 16mm for specific shots - like for the odd dream sequence or a sequence that needs to look doc-like - but not for a large portion of a film. For instance, on First Man, the Super-16mm footage was so grainy that it was decided it was unsuitable for proper IMAX presentation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 Grainier the better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,345 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 I don't miss it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 14 hours ago, Quintus said: Thank you for posting that! I haven't listened to the theme in years and it was nice hearing a performance with more gusto than I'm used to, especially when they break it down in the middle. In high school, I used to love what is inarguably Spielberg's closest film to headbanging frat boys--being a pretty vocal advocate for it on here if I remember--, but I don't know if I will ever feel the desire to watch it again, even with all the great visceral visual vignettes Spielberg tossed in there with seemingly no effort. As many say, though, an amazing score by Williams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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