Random Movie Talk Part Eleventy-1

[lazarus]

You're a much bigger fan of War in the Worlds than I would have expected. That ending torpedoes anything that may have come before it. It's ridiculous, and way too neat.

Also, The Terminal. And Crystal Skull a.k.a. Nuke The Fridge/Swinging on Vines With Monkeys. Total embarrassments.

So what you're left with is A.I. (brilliant but compromised), Minority Report (ditto, and in the end a mockery of Philip K. Dick's worldview), and Catch Me If You Can, probably the most "perfect" of the bunch.

That don't cut it.

In addition to the two films I mentioned previously, Marty has The Departed, an unambitious but perfectly-calibrated thriller with some social commentary, and The Aviator, a very ambitious but slightly-less personal work that still manages some bravura sequences. And there's also the Dylan documentary and the Stones concert film.

Marty wins.

 

[LMP]

The contest continues!

 

[Lancemc]

Marty wins.

It's really such a silly "contest" in the first place, but for you to keep going on as a broken record about it for... years? Not really very entertaining anymore.

Nobody "wins" anyway. I like Spielberg's particular formal language more than the other guys', and as I've said, none of them especially rock my world as "perfect" films, so it more comes down to whatever individually appealing aspects of their work are more interesting to me. Whatever is "compromised" or "embarrassing" about those particular films hardly even factors in to my experience when I enjoy pure cinema of them all so much.

edit: first version of this post was a bit dismissive.

 

[No spoken words]

The contest continues!

I don't know how I'm able to pull shit like this off, but....

I enjoy Minority Report. And The Departed. And AI. And Gangs of New York. And Munich. And The Aviator.

And I'm able to do it without giving any thought to the other films I'm not watching at the time.

Crazy.

 

[lazarus]

It's really such a silly "contest" in the first place, but for you to keep going on as a broken record about it for... years? Not really very entertaining anymore.

Nobody "wins" anyway. I like Spielberg's particular formal language more than the other guys', and as I've said, none of them especially rock my world as "perfect" films, so it more comes down to whatever individually appealing aspects of their work are more interesting to me. Whatever is "compromised" or "embarrassing" about those particular films hardly even factors in to my experience when I enjoy pure cinema of them all so much.

edit: first version of this post was a bit dismissive.

I'm just amazed that someone who is into so much esoteric work and has a knowledge of international cinema would embrace Spielberg's hackneyed tendencies over...any major American filmmaker, really. The only one I would put below him is Eastwood, though I hardly consider the latter "major".

I can't watch something in a vacuum, unfortunately. So whatever pure cinema moments there are get sullied by the lack of understanding/respect of/for the audience. Spielberg has a great compositional eye but I was under the impression that you were drawn to more than that. One can get so caught up in textural aspects that you disregard immature decision-making, and while art may be (like so many things) more about the journey than the destination, a lack of follow-through or resolve results in an incomplete statement and so the whole winds up being less than the sum of the parts. And that's not great cinema to me.

 

[Lancemc]

I don't know how I'm able to pull shit like this off, but....

I enjoy Minority Report. And The Departed. And AI. And Gangs of New York. And Munich. And The Aviator.

And I'm able to do it without giving any thought to the other films I'm not watching at the time.

Crazy.

That's because whatever you are watching at the time, you're thinking about Dune.

 

[No spoken words]

That's because whatever you are watching at the time, you're thinking about Dune.

I laughed for real.

 

[Lancemc]

I can't watch something in a vacuum, unfortunately. So whatever pure cinema moments there are get sullied by the lack of understanding/respect of/for the audience. Spielberg has a great compositional eye but I was under the impression that you were drawn to more than that. One can get so caught up in textural aspects that you disregard immature decision-making, and while art may be (like so many things) more about the journey than the destination, a lack of follow-through or resolve results in an incomplete statement and so the whole winds up being less than the sum of the parts. And that's not great cinema to me.

Your position regarding his work is perfectly understandable, and I know where you're coming from. I feel the same way regarding a lot of other filmmakers people tend to admire actually. And of course I'm drawn to more than that, and would never count Spielberg among my favorite filmmakers because he offers such an acute appeal to me. But that particular acute appeal scratches that one itch so well for me, I love a lot of his work for the very reasons I've been reiterating. I do think every artist offers something different for me digest, and while he certainly doesn't fall within my most typical core tastes, I do find his compositional eye, among his other (many) formal strengths to satisfy me in his particular mode more than most other filmmakers. That being when he's in "big spectacle" mode above anything else. His quieter films don't really work for me all that much, aside from the admittedly near "perfect" Catch Me if You Can. I guess I do think "spectacle" can be stupid and pandering and traditionally embarrassing and still completely captivating if the "craft" is delivered with as much inspiration as he does at his best - his best for me being 90% of War of the Worlds, which is about as abstract and visually daring sophisticated/daring as any blockbuster I've ever seen, moot though its eventual dramatic chops may be in the end.

 

[Lancemc]

Also, people I place some amount of trust in are telling me Thor is awesome (probably not in the classically-minded Lazarus way, I'm going to wager). I've been predicting it would easily be the best comic book film of this year (and coming ones) since its first asinine trailer. Would love to have called this one correctly and back in the complete non-glory.

 

[No spoken words]

It would please me if this turns out to be the case. RT has it at 94% after 50 reviews, albeit just 2 from what they consider "top critics".

 

[Lancemc]

The trailer was the worst thing I have ever seen. But I was really, really impressed. All the heightened emotions, the dramatic intensity, the stunning design of Asgard, the Australian dude's comically sculpted physique, all amazing. Best Hollywood whatsamathing since Star Trek.

Sounds perfect.

 

[No spoken words]

Kirk's Dad = Thor = awesomeness.

I think that's an actual formula.

 

[Lancemc]

Especially if you put him in a silly hat and make him throw hammers at ice demons or whatthefuckever.

 

[No spoken words]

And get Hamlet to direct that shit.

 

[LMP]

Kirk's Dad = Thor = awesomeness.

I think that's an actual formula.

What a perfect 5 minute audition tape. Every time I watch that scene, the room gets a little dusty.

Hell, if Fast Five, Thor and Bridesmaids are all as fun as I'm led to believe, then May isn't a total wasteland until Tree of Life hits. Huzzah!

 

[No spoken words]

Star Trek starts well. Action, then tears*.



*Kind of like the life of Lance's Mom**.




** I had to, sorry, Lance.

 

[Lancemc]

You fuuuuuck.

Fast Five is also supposed to be incredibly fun, so I've heard. Will make Thor the priority though. Opens the same week here as Herzog's new one, though. I'll probably commit major cinephile sin though and go for the stupid blockbuster. Meek's Cutoff the week after to get me back into a stable frame of mind.

 

[bono_212]

Also, people I place some amount of trust in are telling me Thor is awesome (probably not in the classically-minded Lazarus way, I'm going to wager). I've been predicting it would easily be the best comic book film of this year (and coming ones) since its first asinine trailer. Would love to have called this one correctly and back in the complete non-glory.

It would please me if this turns out to be the case. RT has it at 94% after 50 reviews, albeit just 2 from what they consider "top critics".

You guys have no idea how excited that Rotten Tomatoes score made me when I saw it last week. Because, yes, the trailer looks hideous, and I've been anticipating this movie heavily. Can not wait.

 

[Lancemc]

What other film in the next decade is going to show us Stringer Bell posing God-like in gold full-body armor across the vastness of the cosmos?

Yeah, exactly

 

[bono_212]

Holy shit, I didn't even connect that that was him.

 

[lazarus]

Stringer Bell is a punk.

Also, I think I'd rather eat a live baby than see Fast Five. This is like everything that's wrong with Hollywood. And fuck Vin Diesel. I will never see another film that guy is in.

Thor is probably a $2 theatre movie for me, if I ever get around to it. I'm still trying to convince myself to pay that much to see The Adjustment Bureau and Rango.

 

[deep]

Fast 5 is a lot of fun. They aded a little extra to the change scene and Rio is a good location selection. This film will have some good legs. Word of mouth will be good.

Rango is way, way better than The Adjustment Bureau.

 

[If you shout...]

YouTube - CONAN Thor

YouTube - CONAN Comedy Thor (2)

 

[No spoken words]

I laughed despite myself.

 

[Lancemc]

Bastard, I've been watching some De Palma lately, mostly at the behest of some of my other friends on another forum who are also great fans of his. I still don't quite swallow his being a master of pure cinematic craft as some see him, but it's been fun. Dressed to Kill, Sisters, The Fury, The Black Dahlia... a couple rewatches like Snake Eyes and Femme Fatale. Like or dislike them to varying degrees, but I certainly see what draws people to him. Waiting for a blu-ray rip for a first viewing of Blow-Out however. Should be soon.

 

[lazarus]

I'm sorry you had to sit through The Black Dahlia. No one should have to suffer through that years after its release, now that we know how bad it is.

 

[Lancemc]

Yeah, Christ. Easily the worst of the bunch. Of his career, probably, from what I've seen.

 

[LMP]

Bastard, I've been watching some De Palma lately, mostly at the behest of some of my other friends on another forum who are also great fans of his. I still don't quite swallow his being a master of pure cinematic craft as some see him, but it's been fun. Dressed to Kill, Sisters, The Fury, The Black Dahlia... a couple rewatches like Snake Eyes and Femme Fatale. Like or dislike them to varying degrees, but I certainly see what draws people to him. Waiting for a blu-ray rip for a first viewing of Blow-Out however. Should be soon.

Glad to hear it. I wouldn't classify him as a master either by any stretch, but he has a firm handle on crafting engaging set pieces and explores some fertile thematic ground regarding obsession and an accompanying obsession with cinema.

I'd add Phantom of the Paradise and Raising Cain to that watch list if you're so inclined. The former's probably the most essential in his filmography aside from Blow Out. Cain is about as campy and absurd as Body Double, and like that film, is built upon a series of dreams collapsing upon one another with the tongue-in-cheek Hitchcock nods.

 

[Lancemc]

Phantom looks completely batshit crazy, which appeals to me. Will definitely watch. I think the ladyfriend was a fan of Raising Cain too so I'm sure I'll get around to it. My favorites so far from his entire body of work are easily Sisters and The Fury.

 

[LMP]

Good choices. Carlito's Way is a nice parallel to Scarface and Sean Penn's all sorts-a coked out and jewfro'd in that. Definitely recommended.

Spoiler

Also: CASSAVETES EXPLOSION