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

[publicist 4,643]

Maleficent. Oh dear, now this is a really bad film. Feels more like a 90-minute montage than a story - and very choppy at that. Some shoddy effects. And Jolie doesn't quite pull it off to the extent I was hoping.

Watched it on a flight and it wasn't that bad. Apart from some expected contrivances it kind of breezed by. The JNH enchanted me only really during the flight sequences.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Maleficent. Oh dear, now this is a really bad film. Feels more like a 90-minute montage than a story - and very choppy at that. Some shoddy effects. And Jolie doesn't quite pull it off to the extent I was hoping.

I tried to warn you, but you wouldn't listen!

[A24 4,331]

Isn't this an old movie?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

People don't get the purpose of this thread

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Isn't this an old movie?

It's a new old film, so I guess it's OK. Or not. At the end of the day, only KM can tell us where we should talk about this film. Maybe we should ask him everytime before talking about a film.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

We should!

[Quintus 5,399]

Stupid idea was never gonna work anyway was it.

[Marian Schedenig 8,192]

But is KM old?

[crocodile 8,006]

Isn't this an old movie?

They were still showing it around here quite recently. Kids' films have a long theatrical life.

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

But is KM old?

40's

[crocodile 8,006]

Shouldn't we be discussing it in the other thread then?

Karol

[BloodBoal 7,538]

We should create a "What's The Last Not-So-Old Yet Not-So-New Film You Watched?" thread.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

But is KM old?

40's

Jesus. He's old enough to be my dad.

[publicist 4,643]

That would actually make for for some pretty entertaining dinner table conversations.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

I think they'd be rather short.

Sharky: "Dad, do you think Zimm..."

KM: "GO TO BED!"

[Marian Schedenig 8,192]

But is KM old?

40's

Shouldn't we be talking about him in this thread only when he's currently at the cinema?

[A24 4,331]

[Uni 306]

Interesting . . . I don't think I'd consciously realized it until reading the earlier comments, but I haven't read any critics reviews in quite a while. And I used to. A lot. Especially back when Ebert was around. Even then, however, I don't think I ever read a review ahead of a movie in order to make a decision on whether to see it or not. I would either read reviews for films I didn't plan to see, just to get a feel for the buzz around it, or after I'd seen the movie, either to nod or groan in agreement (kinda like a cinema junkie support group). I can usually tell ahead of time whether I'm going to be interested in a movie, and I've disagreed with too many critics—even Ebert, on occasion—to let them influence my moviegoing decisions.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It is interesting that in a era where the Internet has made arm chair critics of us all, that so little value is placed in the opinion of professional critics.

[crocodile 8,006]

You know, it's like oral sex. Amateurs can do it well, too.

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It's my experience that if you wanna get something done right, you pay for i....eeehhhh never mind

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

It is interesting that in a era where the Internet has made arm chair critics of us all, that so little value is placed in the opinion of professional critics.

That's not surprising at all. The rule of the fanboy.

[King Mark 3,631]

Were still allowed to discuss Maleficient, but it's at the limit of "new movie"

[KK 3,307]

Hmmm....I liked it when we had one thread, but you knew that

[King Mark 3,631]

this is way better

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Any films this decade are new.

See its when you get OCD micro managers that shit like this happens. For most of this sites existence last film you watched wasn't predicated by the age of the film .

[Jay 37,352]

Maleficent. Oh dear, now this is a really bad film. Feels more like a 90-minute montage than a story - and very choppy at that. Some shoddy effects. And Jolie doesn't quite pull it off to the extent I was hoping.

But... the score is really good, even better than I expected from soundtrack album. And quite well mixed, too. Would like to have it complete and chronological. Makes more sense this way (themes especially) than its puzzling and confusing album listening experience.

Karol

I liked the film more than you did, but we agree about the music. Seeing the film made me appreciate the score even more, and I was glad I saw it for that reason alone.

BTW, if you want to listen to the Maleficent OST in chronological order, I posted the order here:

http://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5544&page=29#entry1012176

[crocodile 8,006]

Oh thanks, nice one.

Although, to fully appreciate it, we need it truly complete.

Karol

[Jay 37,352]

I'm not really sure why JNH wanted to present the music so wildly out of order like that.

[crocodile 8,006]

I do generally like album presentations. But this one doesn't make much sense. And it's not about the narrative but introductions of themes, flow. Doesn't work. When watching the film last night I had this "ah, I get it now" moment.

Karol

[JoeinAR 1,949]

OCD rears it's ugly head.. Rarely do I worry about a chronological order for music, with a few exceptions here and there.

What is wonderful is the total and complete opposite thoughts films can evoke in people. Karol being a polar opposite of so many others.

[crocodile 8,006]

It's not really about OCD. Some film music just doesn't work out of order. Especially the ones that's based on smaller themes, as opposed to one big tune. With Maleficent soundtrack album, I don't really get a sense what's what and where is this going. And it definitely lacks Maleficent's introduction, with her innocent theme at the beginning of the film. It kind of jumps straight into the fairies dance, if you ignore the suite (that doesn't really present any melody as the principal one).

Karol

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Sounds exactly like ocd. But I guess when a big portion of your life you listened to albums and had no real choice to alter the order unless your were compelled to stand by the turntable and play it track by track.

[crocodile 8,006]

Nice try.

Karol

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Of course.

[Marian Schedenig 8,192]

OCD rears it's ugly head.. Rarely do I worry about a chronological order for music, with a few exceptions here and there.

What's OCD about having music in an order that provides a musical narrative? Would you call it OCD too if I told you that I preferred to hear themes the way they were composed instead of scrambled into a random order of notes?

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Because its already presented in an order that you find unacceptable.

[Jay 37,352]

Yea, Karol's right here. I certainly don't think that film music only works in chronological order, and there are many score albums I enjoy that aren't in chronological order at all, like the album's for Star Trek 2 TWOK, Aliens, Stargate, Waterworld, etc. But it has to be judged on a case by case basis.

The Malificent score album is weird. It's not only wildly out of order, but JNH chose a lot of non essential cues over some highlights, like the opening main title music and some other introductory stuff. I dunno why, his albums are usually well put together from what I'm familiar with.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I can't speak specifically about it because I didn't purchase it. I remember thinking it worked well in the film.

[Jay 37,352]

Yea, works well in the film and well on its own, one of the highlights of 2014 scoring.

[publicist 4,643]

I saw the movie and it opened with WELCOME TO THE MOORS and then went into MALEFICENT FLIES. What elaborate introduction was missing on the album?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Any films this decade are new.

You don't get to decide. KM does.

[crocodile 8,006]

I saw the movie and it opened with WELCOME TO THE MOORS and then went into MALEFICENT FLIES. What elaborate introduction was missing on the album?

No, there is a opening cue in which Howard introduces his Maleficent theme gently on a solo horn before seguing into a folksy-like fiddle snippet for opening narration. The chorus enters. After that, there's a scene with little Maleficent on a tree, in which Howard quotes her theme again on a gentle piano. That lovely little piece then leads into the Moors cue (it starts when she jumps off a tree). Somehow, I miss it on album.

And yes, Joey. The score as heard in film is very good.

Karol

[nightscape94 965]

Any films this decade are new.

You don't get to decide. KM does.

Threads are living organisms, they obey no master.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

This thread is more machine than living organism, now; twisted and evil.

[Wojo 2,453]

If it wasn't so much work, people should edit movies to be in the same order as their wildly out of order soundtrack albums. Then you'd see why it's so important to some people who can see the movie/story in their head as the music plays.

[nightscape94 965]

I'm not sure I quite understand when composers say they order the tracks to provide the best listening experience. If the music tells the same story as the movie for which it was written, then how is the natural order not the best listening experience every time?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,352]

I'm not sure I quite understand when composers say they order the tracks to provide the best listening experience. If the music tells the same story as the movie for which it was written, then how is the natural order not the best listening experience every time?

Oh please. Have you listened to the original albums of Wrath of Khan, Star Wars, Total Recall, Aliens, Temple of Doom, Waterworld? They flow perfectly fine.

Of course, their complete and chronological presentations are great too. But the composer did not fail at making a perfectly acceptable listening experience the first time around.

[publicist 4,643]

I'm not sure I quite understand when composers say they order the tracks to provide the best listening experience. If the music tells the same story as the movie for which it was written, then how is the natural order not the best listening experience every time?

The music on CD first and foremost doesn't tell a story but exists as absolute music, so narrative film rules don't necessarily apply.