What Is The Last Film You Watched? (Older Films)

[Wojo 2,453]

I have watched Moon exactly twice, and enjoyed it more the first time. I am probably going to unload the DVD.

[A24 4,338]

Regarding Moon, well, all we can do is wait for another rare great sci-fi to come out of nowhere. I think Ridley Scott has done some pretty good things in the beginning of his career, and like Stanley Kubrick, he was able to put his mark on the genre. In the 90s, we had The Matrix, which was a fine fusion between action and philosophy, and Gattaca, a stylish Hitchcockian thriller. I hoped that Moon was going to be the 2001 of the nillies but ... I was wrong. It turned out to be the new Silent Running. BTW, much more than a new HAL (like some might claim), Gerty is like Huey, Dewey and Louie, the service robots that assist Bruce Dern in Douglas Trumbull's film. Ultimately, Moon feels like a fan movie, a love letter to the science fiction movie of the seventies. Yes, the sets were nice, however, I was hoping for a new supreme visual narrator but sadly I didn't see one. I was actually bored to death by the cinematography*. However, the low quality of the Blu-ray (it looks worse than DVD) may have been partially responsible for that.

The new 'messiah' has yet to show its face.

Alex

* I even once read in an interview with Duncan Jones that he intentionally kept Moon visually boring because this would represent the atmosphere and daily life on the Moon station. If this is true, then Moon will never be my kind of film (the world of THX-1138 is boring too but its photography isn't). Still, Jones is a nice chap. I've heard a few good things about his Hollywood film Source Code and I'm hoping Duncan will find the funds for his Blade Runner tribute/project.

[Quintus 5,399]

Source Code is a decent thriller. Daft as a brush, but far more enjoyable than Moon.

[Brónach 1,302]

I prefer Moon to Source Code.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

There are very different films, and I enjoy both. Source Code gets notched down a few points because of its ending.

[Brónach 1,302]

I rewatched it the other day and I realized that the

paralell universes interpretation was the only one that made any kind of sense, but when it's finally confirmed it feels contrived. The film tries to make it seem as there are several possible explanations when only that one makes sense and has the most uninteresting ending (after the kiss). However the paralell universes interpretations also gives us all those different universes when things went wrong in different ways, which is interesting.

There's also soemthing that I find interesting and it's that "Sean" dies anyway despite all these different universes.

But I felt Moon was stronger, while watcching it I was more into the problem of this guy on the Moon than into the problem of this guy in the train. It's also the kind of film that I'm always thinking "Why don't they make something like this?" and then it came out of nowhere.

The only thing I miss from that film is Moon gravity. But partial g must be one of the most difficult thing to pull off, more than microgravity.

[crocodile 8,017]

I actually like Soderbergh's Solaris. Ultimately a failed effort, but I admire the intention.

Karol

[Brónach 1,302]

I've never seen any of the Solaris films.

The book is amazing, though.

[crocodile 8,017]

They both (Tarkovsky and Soderbergh) take the book and make their own thing with it. None of them did right or wrong though. It's just a very different perspectives on things.

Karol

[Jay 37,368]

Regarding Moon, well, all we can do is wait for another rare great sci-fi to come out of nowhere. I think Ridley Scott has done some pretty good things in the beginning of his career, and like Stanley Kubrick, he was able to put his mark on the genre. In the 90s, we had The Matrix, which was a fine fusion between action and philosophy, and Gattaca, a stylish Hitchcockian thriller.

No discussion of great 90s is complete without mention 12 Monkeys and Fifth Element, two of my favorite films!

[crocodile 8,017]

I like 12 Monkeys., but I wouldn't call it defining movie in any significant way.

Karol

[A24 4,338]

They are historically and culturally insignificant.

Edit: Oops, crocs beat me to it!

Alex

[Brónach 1,302]

I haven't seen 12 Monkeys yet, but it's on my gigantic list of sci-fi to see.

Out of the 90's sci-fi that I've seen, if there's something I really dislike it's The Matrix. I can't stand that thing.

[Jay 37,368]

The Fifth Element and 12 Monkeys are to me, as important as Gattaca and The Matrix. The Matrix was the biggest game-changer of them all, but 12 Monkeys and Gattaca were likewise prime examples of how serious sci-fi should be handled in a way that can still please most general audiences.

I dunno why so many people don't seem to care for The Fifth Element, I think its absolutely wonderful

[A24 4,338]

I haven't seen 12 Monkeys yet, but it's on my gigantic list of sci-fi to see.

Out of the 90's sci-fi that I've seen, if there's something I really dislike it's The Matrix. I can't stand that thing.

I really like it. At the time, I thought it combined the ultimate ride with some nifty metaphores. Very well made too.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I've tried watching The Matrix a ton of times to see if there's something I missed that everyone else saw but I still find little in it to enjoy or appreciate.

[Romão 2,274]

I just can't get over all the posing and "trying to look cool" shots. It's ridiculous and adds absolutely nothing

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

No, it's style and coolness is one of the main reasons the film works.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I could understand the posing being cool, but I felt like I'd seen it all before.

[Quintus 5,399]

How do feel people here feel about Brazil? I could never get into it.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I'm the same. I've tried a few times after buying the Criterion Collection boxset - I keep telling myself I need to keep trying, everyone says it's brilliant. Unfortunately I'm not a big Gilliam fan so I find it hard connecting with most of his work.

[Brónach 1,302]

My main problem with The Matrix is that I find it impossible to feel any kind of tension while seeing it. It bores me to death. Specially when Neo, the most blank character ever, and Trinity, who just happens to like the guy and little else, are in The Matrix at the end trying to rescue the other guy. Lots of pirotecnics, but is there something real going on? Even if they weren't just jumping around being cool and runing any posibility of creating tension given the situation, if the characters started getting killed I wouldn't give a damn.

At some poinr I just want the agents to kill all the humans and get done with it. Which reminds me of when I wanted to see the blue people completely annihilated in Avatar

Also I don't like the non-Davis music they use.

[A24 4,338]

No, it's style and coolness is one of the main reasons the film works.

Exactly. And the coolness is done with awareness and humor. Good pacing too. To me The Matrix was the new Star Wars. Today I even prefer it. Apparently, 2001 was their greatest influence for this film (and Blade Runner and anime, I guess). How 2001 influenced The Matrix is something you have to ask the Wachowski brothers because I don't really have a clue.

The characters are archetypes, chaac. It's not about getting to know them by showing family scenes and sh!t, thank god!

How do feel people here feel about Brazil? I could never get into it.

I can't stand it (but I can't stand most of Gilliam's films)

[Romão 2,274]

That so called style and coolness rubs me completely in the wrong way (not to mention the ridiculous "cool names" and the constant use of sun glasses). Dark City was at least visually interesting

[Jay 37,368]

Oh wow I can't believe I forgot about Dark City when discussing important 90s sci fi films!

[Quintus 5,399]

Dark City?

God, next someone will be saying how great The Crow is.

[Jay 37,368]

Not me!

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I'll bat for THE CROW.

[A24 4,338]

Dark City?

God, next someone will be saying how great The Crow is.

I know what you mean but at least Dark City is watchable (for its looks). I have yet to see a truly good film by Alex Proyas.

[Jay 37,368]

Did you see Garage Days?

[A24 4,338]

No. I've seen I, Robot though. (hey, where the blush smiley?!)

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Well, your son loved it!

[Jay 37,368]

I liked Garage Days quite a bit when I saw it, though I must admit I have not retained many memories of what it was I enjoyed about it.

I, Robot was a piece of shit.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

No it was not. But it had very low ambitions.

The concept was quite interesting, but they had little interest in exploring it.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I haven't seen it, but it looked as similarly poorly-adapted as I AM LEGEND.

[Brónach 1,302]

I've got to read I am legend, people tell me it's great.

I robot, the film, has little to do with the book. Probably not the Asimov I would had chosen to make a film out of it. That would be The End of Eternity, maybe.

I, robot, as a film, seems to "work" at first. But if you see it several times it breaks.

[Jeff 10]

I haven't seen it, but it looked as similarly poorly-adapted as I AM LEGEND.

I Am Legend was a fantastic movie. I've never read the book, but "poorly adapted" is not necessarily a criticism unless you require fidelity in adaptations in principle.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Brónach 1,302]

The characters are archetypes, chaac. It's not about getting to know them by showing family scenes and sh!t, thank god!

I don't need that. I know they're archetypes (even though it might have been unnecessary on this occasion). The film is just poorly written and poorly made. If I had the time right now I would see it again and write a review about it and send it forever to the beautiful place it should have never left:

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

How 2001 influenced The Matrix is something you have to ask the Wachowski brothers because I don't really have a clue.

Well, story wise there are some broad man versus machine elements that it shares with 2001, But I can't think of anything more specific.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I haven't seen it, but it looked as similarly poorly-adapted as I AM LEGEND.

I Am Legend was a fantastic movie. I've never read the book, but "poorly adapted" is not necessarily a criticism unless you require fidelity in adaptations in principle.

If someone adapts a book and keeps its title, you should probably make sure the film doesn't veer wildly away from the meaning of the book's title and drain the power of the book's ending for a lame Hollywood one. Poorly-adapted is certainly a criticism in my book, and I AM LEGEND deserves the full force of that criticism.

BTW, read the book, it's a landmark work and a thousand times better.

[Brónach 1,302]

I don't mind changes at all when they are better than the original (this happens these times where a film based on a book is better than the book). But if the changes make it worse, well, I don't even see the point in making a film this way when it could be better this other way! It's ridiculous!

[Jeff 10]

I haven't seen it, but it looked as similarly poorly-adapted as I AM LEGEND.

I Am Legend was a fantastic movie. I've never read the book, but "poorly adapted" is not necessarily a criticism unless you require fidelity in adaptations in principle.

If someone adapts a book and keeps its title, you should probably make sure the film doesn't veer wildly away from the meaning of the book's title and drain the power of the book's ending for a lame Hollywood one. Poorly-adapted is certainly a criticism in my book, and I AM LEGEND deserves the full force of that criticism.

BTW, read the book, it's a landmark work and a thousand times better.

I think it depends on the intent of the producers. If they are trying to be faithful to the book, and advertise the film as a faithful representation of the themes or plot of the book, then I would be disappointed if I saw the film and it wasn't. However, there are plenty of great films that take great liberty in adapting the source material, sometimes directly contradicting the purpose of the original.

And I concede that the resolution of the zombie confrontation was not the most brilliant ending to hit the big screen. It was better than the alternate ending on the DVD, though.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I'll admit I'm being very subjective, but when the movies takes three goes at making a film out of one of your favourite books and fucks it up every single time, it's going to make me that way.

But grrr, bloody filmmakers.

[Brónach 1,302]

Aaah, I'm familiar with that feeling.

[A24 4,338]

I don't need that. I know they're archetypes (even though it might have been unnecessary on this occasion). The film is just poorly written and poorly made.

Of course.

Although, I must say, I never heard such statements before. You do have the habit of saying just the opposite.

[Brónach 1,302]

I don't need that. I know they're archetypes (even though it might have been unnecessary on this occasion). The film is just poorly written and poorly made.

Of course.

Don't do that. If you don't agree you don't agree, specially when there are no arguments at hand. To disregard arguments you're not seeing is stupid, because you disregard the possibility of being wrong, and that's something you must not do!

Although, I must say, I never heard such statements before. You do have the habit of saying just the opposite.

I have, several times.

I don't have that habit, I'm actually always with a foot on your camp, but not both feet, which is the funny thing.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

In what way is it poorly written?

The characters are well-drawn. The story is intelligible despite a large amount of philosophical terminology.

None of it is terribly original, I know, but on a story level it's well made. (not something I can say for the 2 other Matrix films)

[Brónach 1,302]

The character's aren't well drawn.

Tell me something about Neo, for example. That isn't "this is his job" or "he looks like this".

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Being well-drawn has nothing to do with knowing about a characters background.

All we ever know from Indy's background in Raiders is that he has a rivalry with Belloq and that he fucked around with his best friends daughter.