Review the Last Movie You Viewed Part VI: Satisfying the A-R crowd

[corianderstem]

I recently watched the first one, just so I could see what the fuss was about.

It was gross. And yet, surprisingly, better than I thought it would be. I'm a sucker for twists, even while people are hacking off their own limbs and stuff.

But one was plenty.

 

[No spoken words]

so, who here has watched all these 'Saw' movies?

they look crap. twisted.

anyone?

The first one's shit and then it gets worse.

 

[u2popmofo]

While I am a sucker for horror movies, I don't really dig the gross out style shock movies. I agree with Cori that he first, and second, SAW movies did have pretty decent twists and were much better than I was expecting. I didn't like the third one though, haven't seen 4 or 5. I can't believe they're on 5 already.

 

[No spoken words]

Real horror movies are great. Saw and its brethren are jokes.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

if I wanted to watch a guy get tortured, I'd dig out my wedding video! HIGH-OH!

 

[u2popmofo]

Hostel looked even more disturbing to me.


More disturbing than SAW that is. Nothing is more disturbing than Elfa's wedding video. Nothing. THAT is true horror.

 

[No spoken words]

I watched Hostel, at like 3am, on a night where I could not fall asleep. It cracked me up, it was so cartoonish.

 

[u2popmofo]

I did hear there was a lot of nudity in it, so I'm having a hard time thinking that you just "happened" to see it at 3am once....

 

[LMP]

Hostel looked even more disturbing to me.


More disturbing than SAW that is. Nothing is more disturbing than Elfa's wedding video. Nothing. THAT is true horror.

He's like Quentin Tarantino in Planet Terror, I bet.

 

[lazarus]

I did hear there was a lot of nudity in it, so I'm having a hard time thinking that you just "happened" to see it at 3am once....

And Li'l NSW just "happened" to fall out of his shorts, the lotion just "happened" to be on the nightstand, etc.

 

[No spoken words]

That's Little Mikey Jr. to you.

 

[lazarus]

Little AND Jr.? Like the poor thing doesn't have enough trouble without two diminutives to deal with.

 

[No spoken words]

Little AND Jr.? Like the poor thing doesn't have enough trouble without two diminutives to deal with.

That's what makes it funny.

 

[lazarus]

Ashes of Time Redux.

Oh fuck yeah. So glad I never got around to seeing my DVD from the boxed set. It can't possibly look and sound as good as it did in the theatre.

What seems at first to be minor Wong really finishes strong. And you'd think the fight scenes wouldn't be very impressive after all the high-profile wuxia stuff this decade, but the way it's shot and edited just puts it in its own category. As usual with WKW, this film is like a who's who of Hong Kong actors. The late Leslie Cheung (amazing, as always), BOTH Tony Leungs, Maggie Cheung (heartbreaking), Brigitte Lin, Jacky Cheung, Carina Lau.

Despite the fact that it's a period piece, you still have the familiar WKW style with multiple characters narrating and ruminating about life, love, etc. In that sense it's not very different at all from Chungking Express or Fallen Angels (this one also features hired killers).

Well worth seeing, though I think it might still just be in L.A. and NYC.

 

[LMP]

Ashes of Time Redux.

Oh fuck yeah. So glad I never got around to seeing my DVD from the boxed set. It can't possibly look and sound as good as it did in the theatre.

What seems at first to be minor Wong really finishes strong. And you'd think the fight scenes wouldn't be very impressive after all the high-profile wuxia stuff this decade, but the way it's shot and edited just puts it in its own category. As usual with WKW, this film is like a who's who of Hong Kong actors. The late Leslie Cheung (amazing, as always), BOTH Tony Leungs, Maggie Cheung (heartbreaking), Brigitte Lin, Jacky Cheung, Carina Lau.

Despite the fact that it's a period piece, you still have the familiar WKW style with multiple characters narrating and ruminating about life, love, etc. In that sense it's not very different at all from Chungking Express or Fallen Angels (this one also features hired killers).

Well worth seeing, though I think it might still just be in L.A. and NYC.

That and Synecdoche, New York. Fuck.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Watched Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and it was a hell of a lot funnier and more enjoyable than I thought it would be. Obviously you can't expect anything earth-shattering with a movie like this but I liked it. It brought the lulz. Tim Meadows' "You don't want any part of this shit!" gag was a good one. And I got a kick out of seeing Jack White and Eddie Vedder in their little cameos. And Pam Beesly has never looked better.

On deck is The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. I have no idea what to expect with that one but I remember hearing a lot of talk about it around last year's Oscars.

 

[mad1]

I cant wait to see Wanted this weekend.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Casino was just on TV. I kinda forgot how fucking awesome that movie is. I think I actually prefer it to Goodfellas...which I guess would be the most similar Scorsese film. Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone's characters are maybe the two most despicable human beings I've ever seen in a movie. Anyway, yeah, great flick.

 

[LMP]

Casino was just on TV. I kinda forgot how fucking awesome that movie is. I think I actually prefer it to Goodfellas...which I guess would be the most similar Scorsese film. Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone's characters are maybe the two most despicable human beings I've ever seen in a movie. Anyway, yeah, great flick.

That's the only Scorsese film I've seen that's disappointed me. It's gorgeous to watch and Pesci and Stone are awesome, like you said, but it was exhausting to watch all 3 hours of it. Maybe someday I'll feel differently, but I wouldn't put it in his Top 10, based on what I've seen of his so far.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Wow, not even in the top 10? I don't even think I've seen 10 Scorsese movies.

Gangs has got to be number 1 right? I think Gangs and The Aviator are probably my top two. And Casino is right behind those.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Raging Bull for me is the best Scorsese movie, hands down.

His biggest disapontment imo is Bringing Out The Dead

 

[lazarus]

Alright, let's get it over with:

1. Gangs of New York
2. Taxi Driver
3. Raging Bull
4. The Age of Innocence
5. GoodFellas
6. The Last Temptation of Christ
7. The Aviator
8. Cape Fear
9. After Hours
10. Kundun


Wish I had room for New York, New York. SO underrated. And christ, I can't fit Mean Streets, either. Or The Departed. The guy is just that good. Whereas with Spielberg you'd probably get to #6 or #7 and be like "these really aren't that great".

 

[No spoken words]

You're like those lame-ass Red Sox fans that hate the Yankees more than they love the Red Sox. Let it go with Speilberg already.

Casino is not a top 10 Scorsese film.

My list:

1. Taxi Driver
2. Raging Bull
3. Gangs of New York
4. Goodfellas
5. The Age of Innocence
6. Kundun
7. The King of Comedy
8. The Aviator
9. Mean Streets
10. The Last Temptation of Christ

Only have seen After Hours once, a long time ago....need to re-watch.

 

[LMP]

Alright, let's get it over with:

1. Gangs of New York
2. Taxi Driver
3. Raging Bull
4. The Age of Innocence
5. GoodFellas
6. The Last Temptation of Christ
7. The Aviator
8. Cape Fear
9. After Hours
10. Kundun


Wish I had room for New York, New York. SO underrated. And christ, I can't fit Mean Streets, either. Or The Departed. The guy is just that good. Whereas with Spielberg you'd probably get to #6 or #7 and be like "these really aren't that great".

It wouldn't be a Scorsese conversation without you bashing Spielberg, or vice-versa.

1. Raging Bull
2. GoodFellas
3. Mean Streets
4. Taxi Driver
5. Gangs
6. The Last Temptation of Christ
7. After Hours
8. The Aviator
9. The Departed
10. The Age of Innocence

I've yet to see King of Comedy, Kundun, New York, New York, and his other pre-Mean Streets films.

 

[LMP]

Raging Bull for me is the best Scorsese movie, hands down.

His biggest disapontment imo is Bringing Out The Dead

I wasn't expecting much from that, but it was pretty interesting.

IB BANGIN'!

 

[powerhour24]

Alright, let's get it over with:

1. Gangs of New York
2. Taxi Driver
3. Raging Bull
4. The Age of Innocence
5. GoodFellas
6. The Last Temptation of Christ
7. The Aviator
8. Cape Fear
9. After Hours
10. Kundun


Wish I had room for New York, New York. SO underrated. And christ, I can't fit Mean Streets, either. Or The Departed. The guy is just that good. Whereas with Spielberg you'd probably get to #6 or #7 and be like "these really aren't that great".

I wanted to say bravo for having GONY so high, but the dig at Spielberg is a big no no, why is it that when talking about the accomplishments of one, people always seem to have to compare and hate on the other? Spielberg may be far more populist, but he's had success in a far greater range of films than Scorsese, the reason why I love films like GONY, Kundun, and especially Raging Bull are because they are much more ambitious under-takings from him, than playing into his crime story sandbox. Not to say that Goodfellas, or The Departed aren't compelling and entertaining, but both seemed to seek to return his career to luster by returning to that genre. Gangs of New York is somewhat flawed, but to me its forgiven for reaching so high. I'm not knocking him for being excellent at what he does, but saying that Spielberg is often under-rated by elitist film viewers because he's made so many huge movies, that doesn't make him talentless as a film maker.

My top Spielberg films are mostly all from vastly different genres.

Schindler's List
Saving Private Ryan
Close Encounters
The Sugarland Express
ET
Empire of the Sun
Jaws
Catch Me If You Can
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Minority Report

Not really in any order, and even though there are two war films, and three science fiction films, those are so varied besides the lump umbrella category they don't fit together.

 

[lazarus]

I didn't say Spielberg wasn't talented, but to me even the films with great filmmaking are often hindered by very weak scripts, compromised endings, or in the case of Minority Report, a complete betrayal of the source material's themes and worldview.

And I strongly disagree--I think Marty's oeuvre is more diverse. Spielberg hasn't done a classic literary adaptation of prestige material like The Age of Innocence (I'm not counting The Color Purple and Empire as "classic"), black comedies like King of Comedy or After Hours, a musical like NYNY, anything even close to the verité aesthetic of Marty's first few films, the abstract poetry of Kundun (you will NEVER see him attempt anything like this because he simply doesn't have it in him), nor would he go anywhere near potentially controversial material like The Last Temptation of Christ. Marty's only real blind spot is sci-fi/fantasy, and war films.

 

[powerhour24]

Well not that you can get much more controversial than Last Temptation of Christ, but Munich certainly pushed a lot of buttons leading up to its production, and a lot of different ones when it came out, the movie is judged more on its politics than its film-making. As for MR, while it may not work as a great adaptation of the source material (Dick just doesn't work well on screen, when you stick to the source in his case people get bored, much to his fans' annoyance his stories have worked as set ups for divergent entertainment, the only one that really went with what Dick was saying was A Scanner Darkly, and most viewers didn't like it, though I did) but it works on several other levels, not only as an excellent thrill ride, but a smart drama about a guilt ridden father, and a compelling cautionary tale. I think sometimes what people call spitting on great material actually turns out to be worthwhile, like Blade Runner (to use another Dick adaptation) it "ruins" the book, but its one of the greatest science fiction movies in history.

People seem to have this divergence when viewing the two of them, like you can't be fans of both and for very different reasons, no I don't think Spielberg will ever attempt an abstract poetic film, but that's not what I look for in his films (I'll look to Terrence Malick for that), his strength is story-telling, and few can reach his heights there.

 

[lazarus]

he is a great visual storyteller, there's no doubt about that. but despite the adult material of some of his later films, he doesn't seem able to mature in a natural fashion. Munich, the first film where he shows nudity, concludes with that absolutely awful sex/murder cross-cutting scene that is so tonally off and awkward it looks like amateur hour. Minority Report was pretty visionary and a lot of fun, but that idiotic ending was just flat out wrong. It's not like he decides to take a different tack--it's almost as if he doesn't have the conviction to take something to the logical point it's headed toward, and I'd make the same case about A.I., though I know some people like the epilogue.

 

[LMP]

he is a great visual storyteller, there's no doubt about that. but despite the adult material of some of his later films, he doesn't seem able to mature in a natural fashion. Munich, the first film where he shows nudity, concludes with that absolutely awful sex/murder cross-cutting scene that is so tonally off and awkward it looks like amateur hour. Minority Report was pretty visionary and a lot of fun, but that idiotic ending was just flat out wrong. It's not like he decides to take a different tack--it's almost as if he doesn't have the conviction to take something to the logical point it's headed toward, and I'd make the same case about A.I., though I know some people like the epilogue.

I have absolutely no idea why anyone would like the epilogue of A.I. That could be one of the worst endings for any great film ever, at least in my opinion.

Spielberg's been my favorite director for a very long time and his work is what initially inspired me to want to pursue filmmaking as a profession, but I do agree with Laz that he hasn't matured very much as a filmmaker throughout his career. Why he has to be compared to Scorsese, another absolute genius, is also beyond me. Both have their niches as different types of filmmakers, and while Scorsese may have a more full body of work, I don't know how that diminishes Spielberg's at all.

Scorsese couldn't direct a film like E.T. and Spielberg couldn't do something like GoodFellas... and that's totally cool.