What is the Last Film You Watched? - Part II

[A24 4,351]

I suppose you're going to say that Superman doesn't bear any resemblance either, right?

No, I'm not going to say that because I already agreed with Supes.

[Morlock 11]

Saw Se7en again. Sorry Alex, this one still works for me as well as ever.

[indy4 155]

Good news - I finally found a big box of DVDs that I had been looking for for a while, and included Indiana Jones Trilogy, Star Wars Trilogy, and all three seasons of the Original Star Trek.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

Have you seen the trilogies before?

[indy4 155]

Oh yes, more times than I can count, I just lost the DVD sets for a while.

indy4 - who doesn't know what his life would be like if he hadn't seen those trilogies

[A24 4,351]

Saw Se7en again. Sorry Alex, this one still works for me as well as ever.

Good for you. To me thrillers are about the mystery, the unknown. Or, in some cases, to lose perception of that what you know. That, Morlock, is what brings tension about. And watching a thriller for the first time will always have that advantage. It's also the very reason why thrillers DON'T get better with multiple viewing.

Alex

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Saw Se7en again. Sorry Alex, this one still works for me as well as ever.

Good for you. To me thrillers are about the mystery, the unknown. Or, in some cases, to lose perception of that what you know. That, Morlock, is what brings tension about. And watching a thriller for the first time will always have that advantage. It also the very reason why thrillers DON'T get better with multiple viewing.

Alex

They can if you saw it years ago and you forgot how it ended.

[Morlock 11]

Well, Se7en was ruined for me from the get-go, in the respect. First time I saw it, I hated the ending, thought it was totally wrong. Don't know what I was thinking.

So it does not get better, that is true. But I am impressed and totally involved once again. I am not very impressed with the mysterious elements of a thriller, as, for me, again, it's only notable if I want to see it again. So it's surprising the first time. Every time after that, I am simply amazed by how it still captures my imagination time and time again. How well scripted, acted, shot it is, how good the sound design is, and how all these things combine to make for a pretty thrilling 2 hours spent, even if one knows the outcome.

[A24 4,351]

Well, other people watch thrillers for the tension. It's the reason why it's the most popular genre. The story of a thriller is almost completely based on mystery. If that doesn't interest you than how can you be interested in the means that enables tension? To create the sensation of tension is the whole purpose of a thriller. The atmosphere and acting only contribute to its main purpose.

Alex

[Morlock 11]

I disagree that a thriller is almost entirely based on mystery. A good thriller, in my books, thrills, irrelevant of whether the mystery element worked or not. And, also, other people see movies once. I barely see a point in seeing a movie once.

[A24 4,351]

I disagree that a thriller is almost entirely based on mystery.

And its forthcoming tension, of course. There has to be a sense of threat. Combine this with the unknown, the un-graspable, not to know what to expect and you have the core of every good thriller.

[QMM 4]

Isn't listening to scores more than once the same thing?

[A24 4,351]

Do you think listening to music is the same as watching a movie?

[tpigeon 3]

"A film is - or should be - more like music than fiction."

- Stanley Kubrick

Ted

[QMM 4]

Why do you listen to film scores more than once?

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Naked Players.

Nice little piece of soft-core porn about a hotel heist... or at least I think it was a hotel. The sound was off most of the way through, so I couldn't tell.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

American Gangster, really good movie, not exceptional, but really good.

[pixie_twinkle 48]

Eragon.

Why, oh why...?

[indy4 155]

Oh yes, it was terrible. A total takeoff from LOTR. The most obvious rippoff I think is the part where they show the back of the Shade's head, giving his pep talk to a giant army (in TT, they show the back of Sauramaun's head when he gives a pep talk to his giant army). Not very good, everything seemed like a takeoff (including the music).

I just saw Big Fish for the third time. This time, it really hit home. I had always liked it, but its never almost moved me to tears before. Brilliant film, can't wait to buy the soundtrack. Bravo, Tim!

[A24 4,351]

American Gangster, really good movie, not exceptional, but really good.

Wow, that's quite indulgent for a Ridley Scott hater.

[Neimoidian 14]

I just saw Big Fish for the third time. This time, it really hit home. I had always liked it, but its never almost moved me to tears before. Brilliant film, can't wait to buy the soundtrack. Bravo, Tim!

I just saw it for the first time and I liked it. It's not Burton's best, but really interesing and imaginative. The finale is moving indeed.

[Marian Schedenig 8,217]

Not very good, everything seemed like a takeoff (including the music).

Really? I haven't heard the score yet, but I can't imagine Doyle sounding like Shore.

[indy4 155]

Well, I don't have the score either, so I guess I can't really make that statement. I guess I should've just said that the music was bad, from what I heard from the film.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Well, I don't have the score either, so I guess I can't really make that statement. I guess I should've just said that the music was bad, from what I heard from the film.

[Jacob 0]

Eragon.

Why, oh why...?

Did you notice how much it ripped off Star Wars? The basic plot structure is exactly the same.

- The egg being transported to Eragon by the princess / The Death Star plans in R2-D2

- 'Binary Sunset'

- Rushing back to his uncle's farm only to find him dead

- Learning the princess is captured and going to rescue her

- The mentor giving his life to the let the others escape

- The final battle at the hidden rebel fortress

And it was all so poorly executed.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Of course Star Wars was based on The Hidden Fortress by Akira Kurosawa....

[Jacob 0]

I had forgotten...

But while I haven't seen The Hidden Fortress to know how much Star Wars borrowed from it I highly doubt it was as pathetically obvious a copy.

[Elmo Lewis 6]

David Lynch's Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.

Shame it was more about the fire than about Twin Peaks, but it's a very good, solid movie nonetheless. Kind of feels like a cold reconstruction of the events we only hear of in the series at times, but some brilliantly overdone dream sequences give this film a heart of its own.

[Morlock 11]

American Gangster, really good movie, not exceptional, but really good.

Wow, that's quite indulgent for a Ridley Scott hater.

Disliking Blade Runner does not make one a Ridley Scott hater. While to you, that and Alien are the only things he's done worth noting, there's much more there.

Morlock- huge Scott fan, who anticipates enjoying American Gangster, but doubts it will be a serious Scott film. Everyone seems to be playing it safe.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

I saw that movie tonight.

It's very good.

[Morlock 11]

Great, I often find myself agreeing with yourself and ?-Man. How was the score? I've heard some nice things about it.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

The score was nice. I noticed it a few times. It's not a score I would go out and buy, but it served its purpose very well in the film.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Of course Star Wars was based on The Hidden Fortress by Akira Kurosawa....

Likely Christopher Paolini hasn't even seen that, he's just a SW fanboy.

[QMM 4]

I'd buy the score for American Gangster if it was actually getting a proper release. It's just getting two tracks of score on a song album tho

[indy4 155]

The Patriot: It wasn't a bad film, actually. After trying in vain to enjoy Independence Day three times, I assumed I would hate the Patriot. I was pleasantly suprised, sort of. While I found much of the acting corny, and the use of slow motion got tiresome, much like the use in Cutthroat Island, it did have some nice scenes in it. The score was very nice, and if that is JW on autopilot, then I like it! There were some parts where I found the music to make the film over glorified, thus making it corny. However, the music sounded great, it was just a bad mixture with the film, IMO. I think it will sound good when seperated from the film. **/****

I did find myself laughing out loud at the part where the ship blew up ("lovely, fireworks!"), and it was nice how Benjamin used stuffed dummies as ransom.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Don't you just love how they put the token black guy in that film?

[A24 4,351]

American Gangster, really good movie, not exceptional, but really good.

Wow, that's quite indulgent for a Ridley Scott hater.

Disliking Blade Runner does not make one a Ridley Scott hater. While to you, that and Alien are the only things he's done worth noting, there's much more there.

Not so much, actually. Those two movie have become classics and are still seen as the best of his career. These films had and still have a great influence on cinema. The rest of his oeuvre will be forgotten.

BTW, I thought for a moment that Joey is JoeinAr and, yes, he is a real Scott hater.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Joey = Joeinar?

[A24 4,351]

Silly me!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

[Morlock 11]

I disagree that a thriller is almost entirely based on mystery.

And its forthcoming tension, of course. There has to be a sense of threat. Combine this with the unknown, the un-graspable, not to know what to expect and you have the core of every good thriller.

That sounds like the core of every pretty good thriller. A great thriller doesn't need to come as a surprise. Great writing, great acting, great good guys, great bad guys, great directing, great cinematography....they can come together to make more than a one-time experience, which, again, I find to be a flaw in filmmaking. A live performance should be a great one-time experience. A film should strive for more.

Not so much, actually. Those two movie have become classics and are still seen as the best of his career. These films had and still have a great influence on cinema. The rest of his oeuvre will be forgotten.

1. Their influence an cinema, while undeniable, is not necasserily a good thing (hell, you yourself don't seem to like any film that touches upon anything seen in Alien and Blade Runner). And if we're looking at film 'influence-wise'...what's the point?

2. Whether or not they will be forgotten, only time can tell. Judging by the first century of film, if the medium will survive another 50 years, films by good directors are never forgotten. Maybe lost, but never forgotten.

3. You are not going to want to admit this (and I am depressed by it), but Gladiator has also become a classic, and there are other films of his that have a strong movie-geek following.

4. For me, Blade Runner wasn't even complete until this year. One of the most important elements, the look (or feel) of it, only really worked on the big screen, the Final Cut version I saw in the theater. In the past, it was rarely more than overbearing in it's decay. But, on the big screen, it's much more detailed. And Ford seems to blend in more with his surroundings. In fact, the movie looked so good, that just the shock of seeing something I've seen before look so much better destracted me. I never understood the defence of the look of the film until now.

[A24 4,351]

Okay, perhaps Gladiator too, even though the film gets worse with each viewing. I seriously doubt that people will still talk about it after 25 years. Blade Runner is like Citizen Kane or A Space Odyssey. It just won't die. That it's officially back in cinemas for the third time is astonishing. And despite its limited release, it's earning pretty good money.

Indeed, for full effect, Blade Runner is a film that needs to be seen on a big screen. It allows the viewer to step into Scott's detailed environment to live the experience. I've seen the original film about 10 times in cinemas when it was first released 25 years ago, so you may say that I'm quite used to it. Nevertheless, when I saw The Final Cut, my mouth fell wide open the moment the opening scene appeared. I didn't expect that.

I don't understand why you think a highly influential work is not good. Great art inspires and keeps on inspiring. Sometimes I have the feeling that you like to disagree just for the fun of it.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I've only seen Blade Runnber on TV, in fullscreen, perhaps this is why it has not clicked with me.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Okay, perhaps Gladiator too, even though the film gets worse with each viewing.

Hey, I thought you liked Gladiator! I remember years ago, you used a picture of Commodus with the caption "I'm quite vexed", when I said I quite enjoyed Alien vs. Predator.

[A24 4,351]

I've only seen Blade Runnber on TV, in fullscreen, perhaps this is why it has not clicked with me.

Quite possibly. Did you know that most fans didn't like it the first time? I was disappointed too when I first saw it. Three days later I went back to see it again and it was like a totally different film. I don't even remember the first viewing.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Alex never said he never liked it, he says it gets worse with every viewing. AOTC does the same for me, and I never watched ROTS more then once because of it.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

AOTC definitely gets worse, but for me TPM has surprisingly aged better than expected. Dunno about ROTS, I haven't watched it in ages.

[A24 4,351]

... I quite enjoyed Alien vs. Predator.

Vexing, very vexing ...

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Yes, yes, YES! That's the spirit!

[A24 4,351]