2. I am trying to think if this is the first time I've seen Mifune in a movie not set in feudal japan. In any case I am very into suave businessman Mifune.
3. Jeez I really didn’t
see that ending coming. All of a sudden the protagonist is brutally murdered off screen and the bad guy wins. The end! That’s not how Hamlet usually ends!
E: also Kurosawa is obviously great, and I could watch him arrange bodies in a room all day. So wandering, if you want more bodies in a room and businessman Mifune (w/sharp moustache) watch High and Low. It might be my favorite of Kurosawa's work.
Oh, Miami Vice is definitely not a great film (I don't think Hard to be a God is either). But it's either that or Public Enemies if I'm picking stuff that looks fantastic and also unlike anything else before it. I might be persuaded to go with Public Enemies actually, just because its formal decisions build a kind stylistic anachronism; so many period pieces try to match the remembered visual textures of their time and that one goes in the opposite direction. A lot of people criticized, or continue to criticize Mann's preference for very digital looking cinematography, but I think it's the most interesting thing he's pushed as a filmmaker. He can keep repeating his romantic brand of tortured masculinity, but I'm watching his films for their visual (edit: and sound!---he's extremely conscious of sound design) decisions primarily.
Public Enemies is one of the ugliest movies I’ve ever seen. I saw it in the theater and it was practically like it had TV motion smoothing. “Let’s shoot this in a real bad way on really crappy but very expensive digital cameras” is certainly a creative decision, but it’s not one I enjoyed or would consider listworthy in the slightest.
I do like Mann’s style generally (sorry @Atomika ) though.
2. I am trying to think if this is the first time I've seen Mifune in a movie not set in feudal japan. In any case I am very into suave businessman Mifune.
3. Jeez I really didn’t
see that ending coming. All of a sudden the protagonist is brutally murdered off screen and the bad guy wins. The end! That’s not how Hamlet usually ends!
I’m surprised that EFaP guy doesn’t talk about the costuming. Mifune is the king of that scene not only through staging and cinematography and his sheer Mifune-ness, but he’s also in a dark black suit while everyone and everything else is in muted whites and greys. It’s impossible to not be looking at him at least a little during the scene.
JJ uses color really well and the lens flares in Star Trek were great at evoking a theme through the movie.
His framing is OK to good but he has a tendency to get lazy with regards to composition
His main weakness is that he has no sense for pacing; this bleeds over into the shots he chooses because even if he has a beautiful frame and composition he wont give it time to breathe. Its right onto the next thing and the next action and the shot is lost. The end of TFA with the spinning pull out is an example. It robs Reys close up of the impact it should have. (Also the shot/reverse shot prior to that is lazy and would have been better served by a medium length tracking shot. Turning around rey as she climbs to reveal Luke as Rey sees him, then zooming to his decloaking and close up. Then we pull back to reveal rey already holding the saber and her close up. Then the film ends)
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AtomikaLive fast and get fucked or whateverRegistered Userregular
Mann is somehow able to shoot mundane, tedious things like a jet plane taking off against the sky and make it seem compelling and new. Kind of like how Lynch is able to make familiar things seem sinister.
He's like Le Carre's writing in that regard: an ability to make a mundane task seem compelling. Quite a rare skill.
Hooper has done great work with actors, and yes, they’re usually good actors to begin with, but I don’t think you can ignore the director’s part in that. It’s just when it comes to supporting those performances with the filmmaking that his decisions are often less than, well, supportive.
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
Collateral was also a pretty important film technically. it was one of the first almost purely digitally shot movies that didn't look like hot garbage. They did some really impressive stuff with low lighting too.
Man, all y'all who said Sorry to Bother You went batshit crazy weren't kidding. Glad I kept myself in the dark. I can't say that everything in the movie worked for me, but it's definitely the sort of film you cannot forget.
TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
edited January 2019
The Commuter (Amazon Prime) was a lot better than Non-Stop and Taken 3, but that only gets Neeson to middling in terms of his old man action-thriller movies.
This time we have Qui-Gon being a former NYPD cop turned insurance salesman who takes the train into town every day and is known by everyone on the train, even fellow commuter pal Buzz Hickey. And he's starting to worry about his kid's college tuition and expenses. But oh noes! He gets fired after ten years of loyal service! And the mortgage payment is due and they have all these checks floating right that instant! So he's all bummed out and he relays this to his pal, and still cop Ocean Master at the bar before he heads home (who is totally not the bad guy at the end nuh uh, no sir, no way this movie will be so predictable), and then on the train he's approached by Norma Bates to identify someone on that train and he will get 100k. But dun dun dun things aren't as easy and simple as that, cue the stuntmen!
This felt like one of those movies where the producers just sort of grabbed anyone who was available in the area outside of Neeson, since this is the fourth movie the director has made with the actor so far (Non-Stop but also Run All Night and Unknown which were two movies I totally forgot I actually watched). Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson showing up feels like they must have just finished wrapping up The Conjouring 2 or something and were both pulled from waiting in line at the airport by their agents since both only have about 5 minutes of screentime, Shuri shows up for like 30 seconds, and Sam Neil is all crikey bimey what movie am I in this time where's Ricky Baker?
It's actually a pretty well shot movie in terms of doing something interesting and when it's just a thriller for the first 45 minutes, it feels right for Neeson at his age to be the thinker, not the fisticuffs guy. But then you add in the stupid villain having Batman level prediction powers and you just stop caring when you see a clearly sped up fight scene with Neeson and a baddie and then you sort of feel sad for Neeson having to resort to that trickery (it's even more sad when Donnie Yen did it in Ip Man 3). And then shitty CGI train 'splosions show up too and you just wonder when did this movie get on the wrong tracks a choo choo zing. Plus you have some moments of complete pointless scene ruining bathos and a moment at the end trying to be moving and stirring but is just laughable. Spider-Man 1 had a more believable moment of New Yorker solidarity.
For a streaming movie, yeah whatever I guess, Train to Busan was predictable too but that at least sticks with you more. It works if you want a weekday evening film, I still have no interest in paying to see his upcoming Mr. Plow movie. Basically Neeson needs to step away from the old dude January movies and let Gerry B take over by stabbing all the baddies in the brain.
There's a movie coming out called bright burn, and I joked to my gf at the start it was a new superman movie as something crashes into the farm.
The trailer kept going and it straight up looks like what if superman was a deranged evil killer. I'm not sure if it's going to be really cool or really bad.
There's a movie coming out called bright burn, and I joked to my gf at the start it was a new superman movie as something crashes into the farm.
The trailer kept going and it straight up looks like what if superman was a deranged evil killer. I'm not sure if it's going to be really cool or really bad.
I'm excited. Reminds me of Irredeemable.
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ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
The wife bought Super Troopers 2 for me for Christmas. The first one was one of our first movies we watched together so it holds a special place in our hearts. Not a great movie, but funny.
The second one is basically the first one. It's not a good movie, but it's funny in all the ways I need right now.
I can’t nominate Les Miserables simply because how much the cinematography works against the energy and performances
It’s a beautiful thing done badly
Hot Obvious take: Maybe Tom Hooper doesn't actually know what he's doing.
Indeed. I think FCH did an article way back about him being basically a cargo cult director.
Yeah, that essay to me really made The King's Speech make sense. There were so many parts where I was like "Ok, this is a showy bit of direction but what's the point?". And it turns out the answer is "There is no point to it."
I was on these forums all throughout high school (I'm 27 now) and lurked a bit after... But I am so glad this place and threads like this still exist. It's neat to be back even if I opted to re-register.
Also, now I really want to watch The Favourite. Thanks for that.
The wife bought Super Troopers 2 for me for Christmas. The first one was one of our first movies we watched together so it holds a special place in our hearts. Not a great movie, but funny.
The second one is basically the first one. It's not a good movie, but it's funny in all the ways I need right now.
I thought the second was a lot worse than the first. The first was pretty much hit after hit, the second had a lot more duds.
Re Public Enemies: The film isn’t pleasing to the eye, but I’d still consider it an effective - if irritating - use of cinematography. We’re used to movies about classic gangsters looking like The Godfather: painterly, deep contrasts, warm colours. It’s a beautiful look, but it is also a nostalgic cliché. It’s the gangster equivalent of costume movies looking like an expensive BBC production. Public Enemies with its smeary, digital aesthetic looks ore like Good Time would years later. It looks like the present, our present, as depicted not by the Gordon Willises of this world, the people who paint with celluloid; instead it looks like surveillance cameras and TV and smartphone footage. It gave the finger to looking at olden-days gangsters through the filter of nostalgia. It doesn’t do so perfectly, but I think it’s an interesting approach and one that I’d like to see done more often: not making a genre look like people expect it to look, without all the baggage.
Thirith on
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
The wife bought Super Troopers 2 for me for Christmas. The first one was one of our first movies we watched together so it holds a special place in our hearts. Not a great movie, but funny.
The second one is basically the first one. It's not a good movie, but it's funny in all the ways I need right now.
I thought the second was a lot worse than the first. The first was pretty much hit after hit, the second had a lot more duds.
Hearing Jeff Bakalar explain it was pretty much spot on. It was an OK meal and then you stuck it in the microwave a bit too long. It's ok, but it mostly reminds you why you liked the first one so much.
I got some good laughs out of it though. Like watching Rob Lowe jokingly use a penis as a speed bag.
@Atomika
So, The Favourite. How weird is this movie? Is it just like really well done period drama? Or is this gonna get strange and trippy and a bit outside the mainstream?
The premise sounds right up my wife's alley but it's Lanthimos and I've taken her to too many unexpectedly weird movies by this point so she's demanding some assurances before agreeing to see it.
I just got done watching Solo: A Star Wars Story. Okay, it was fine. A serviceable sci fi movie. I want a Lando movie now with Donald Glover.
It makes absolutely no sense why there isn’t currently release dates for a Lando movie with Glover and a Kenobi movie with McGregor.
I’d be incredibly satisfied with a Jabba series with Kenobi and Lando side stories within.
I skipped Solo in theaters and I was surprised when I skipped right past it on Netflix. Everything relevant to the movies for Solo's backstory was presented in about five minutes on Mos Eisley, there's just nothing I want to know about him with a re-re-done backstory.
The last thing I want is more films about main or secondary characters from any of the trilogies. Show me a Rogue Squadron or Wraith Squadron series instead, where we get something interesting, hasn't been in a film/series before, (almost) totally avoids Jedi anything, and features a pile of new characters or new situations instead of just playing it prequel safe with character backstories that didn't even need to be told.
@Atomika
So, The Favourite. How weird is this movie? Is it just like really well done period drama? Or is this gonna get strange and trippy and a bit outside the mainstream?
The premise sounds right up my wife's alley but it's Lanthimos and I've taken her to too many unexpectedly weird movies by this point so she's demanding some assurances before agreeing to see it.
I am not actually Atomika. HOWEVER. I will say that it had the trappings of a period piece without actually feeling like one. There are just enough anachronisms in the dialogue to make it feel more modern which, I believe, also makes it more accessible.
There are parts which are kind of odd (in a good way) and the ending is way unsettling, but I wouldn't really call it trippy. There's no surrealism or anything. They say fuck a lot. Is fuck surreal?
I think the trailer is actually a really good representation of what the film is. If you watch the trailer and think "this is my bag!" then it's probably your bag. For the record, I hate most period pieces, but I loved this one, if that helps.
ElJeffe on
I submitted an entry to Lego Ideas, and if 10,000 people support me, it'll be turned into an actual Lego set!If you'd like to see and support my submission, follow this link.
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AstaerethIn the belly of the beastRegistered Userregular
It’s not trippy, just profane and intense. It’s the least Lanthimos Lanthimos by far.
Posts
Indeed. I think FCH did an article way back about him being basically a cargo cult director.
1. This movie has a lot of great long takes. Every Frame a Painting has a good breakdown of one scene:
2. I am trying to think if this is the first time I've seen Mifune in a movie not set in feudal japan. In any case I am very into suave businessman Mifune.
3. Jeez I really didn’t
Saddle up for the next Golden Globes.
E: also Kurosawa is obviously great, and I could watch him arrange bodies in a room all day. So wandering, if you want more bodies in a room and businessman Mifune (w/sharp moustache) watch High and Low. It might be my favorite of Kurosawa's work.
Trying to make a Musical as realistic as possible seems inherently contradictory.
Also stupid. What in God’s name were they smoking.
And I like the movie.
twitch.tv/Taramoor
@TaramoorPlays
Taramoor on Youtube
Public Enemies is one of the ugliest movies I’ve ever seen. I saw it in the theater and it was practically like it had TV motion smoothing. “Let’s shoot this in a real bad way on really crappy but very expensive digital cameras” is certainly a creative decision, but it’s not one I enjoyed or would consider listworthy in the slightest.
I do like Mann’s style generally (sorry @Atomika ) though.
I’m surprised that EFaP guy doesn’t talk about the costuming. Mifune is the king of that scene not only through staging and cinematography and his sheer Mifune-ness, but he’s also in a dark black suit while everyone and everything else is in muted whites and greys. It’s impossible to not be looking at him at least a little during the scene.
twitch.tv/Taramoor
@TaramoorPlays
Taramoor on Youtube
4, which shall illuminate my foot turning Gul Madred's balls into paste.
~ Buckaroo Banzai
JJ uses color really well and the lens flares in Star Trek were great at evoking a theme through the movie.
His framing is OK to good but he has a tendency to get lazy with regards to composition
His main weakness is that he has no sense for pacing; this bleeds over into the shots he chooses because even if he has a beautiful frame and composition he wont give it time to breathe. Its right onto the next thing and the next action and the shot is lost. The end of TFA with the spinning pull out is an example. It robs Reys close up of the impact it should have. (Also the shot/reverse shot prior to that is lazy and would have been better served by a medium length tracking shot. Turning around rey as she climbs to reveal Luke as Rey sees him, then zooming to his decloaking and close up. Then we pull back to reveal rey already holding the saber and her close up. Then the film ends)
We’ve discussed this
He's like Le Carre's writing in that regard: an ability to make a mundane task seem compelling. Quite a rare skill.
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
I give you more than anyone has ever thought about the legend of chun li.
pleasepaypreacher.net
This time we have Qui-Gon being a former NYPD cop turned insurance salesman who takes the train into town every day and is known by everyone on the train, even fellow commuter pal Buzz Hickey. And he's starting to worry about his kid's college tuition and expenses. But oh noes! He gets fired after ten years of loyal service! And the mortgage payment is due and they have all these checks floating right that instant! So he's all bummed out and he relays this to his pal, and still cop Ocean Master at the bar before he heads home (who is totally not the bad guy at the end nuh uh, no sir, no way this movie will be so predictable), and then on the train he's approached by Norma Bates to identify someone on that train and he will get 100k. But dun dun dun things aren't as easy and simple as that, cue the stuntmen!
This felt like one of those movies where the producers just sort of grabbed anyone who was available in the area outside of Neeson, since this is the fourth movie the director has made with the actor so far (Non-Stop but also Run All Night and Unknown which were two movies I totally forgot I actually watched). Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson showing up feels like they must have just finished wrapping up The Conjouring 2 or something and were both pulled from waiting in line at the airport by their agents since both only have about 5 minutes of screentime, Shuri shows up for like 30 seconds, and Sam Neil is all crikey bimey what movie am I in this time where's Ricky Baker?
It's actually a pretty well shot movie in terms of doing something interesting and when it's just a thriller for the first 45 minutes, it feels right for Neeson at his age to be the thinker, not the fisticuffs guy. But then you add in the stupid villain having Batman level prediction powers and you just stop caring when you see a clearly sped up fight scene with Neeson and a baddie and then you sort of feel sad for Neeson having to resort to that trickery (it's even more sad when Donnie Yen did it in Ip Man 3). And then shitty CGI train 'splosions show up too and you just wonder when did this movie get on the wrong tracks a choo choo zing. Plus you have some moments of complete pointless scene ruining bathos and a moment at the end trying to be moving and stirring but is just laughable. Spider-Man 1 had a more believable moment of New Yorker solidarity.
For a streaming movie, yeah whatever I guess, Train to Busan was predictable too but that at least sticks with you more. It works if you want a weekday evening film, I still have no interest in paying to see his upcoming Mr. Plow movie. Basically Neeson needs to step away from the old dude January movies and let Gerry B take over by stabbing all the baddies in the brain.
The trailer kept going and it straight up looks like what if superman was a deranged evil killer. I'm not sure if it's going to be really cool or really bad.
I'm excited. Reminds me of Irredeemable.
The second one is basically the first one. It's not a good movie, but it's funny in all the ways I need right now.
Yeah, that essay to me really made The King's Speech make sense. There were so many parts where I was like "Ok, this is a showy bit of direction but what's the point?". And it turns out the answer is "There is no point to it."
His final conclusion is the most correct anyone has ever been.
Also, now I really want to watch The Favourite. Thanks for that.
But the Hitman movies weren't bad.
I thought the second was a lot worse than the first. The first was pretty much hit after hit, the second had a lot more duds.
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
Hearing Jeff Bakalar explain it was pretty much spot on. It was an OK meal and then you stuck it in the microwave a bit too long. It's ok, but it mostly reminds you why you liked the first one so much.
I got some good laughs out of it though. Like watching Rob Lowe jokingly use a penis as a speed bag.
So, The Favourite. How weird is this movie? Is it just like really well done period drama? Or is this gonna get strange and trippy and a bit outside the mainstream?
The premise sounds right up my wife's alley but it's Lanthimos and I've taken her to too many unexpectedly weird movies by this point so she's demanding some assurances before agreeing to see it.
I'd stick my man Brian Cox CBE in there too.
It makes absolutely no sense why there isn’t currently release dates for a Lando movie with Glover and a Kenobi movie with McGregor.
I’d be incredibly satisfied with a Jabba series with Kenobi and Lando side stories within.
I would love to see McGregor play kenobi again.
I skipped Solo in theaters and I was surprised when I skipped right past it on Netflix. Everything relevant to the movies for Solo's backstory was presented in about five minutes on Mos Eisley, there's just nothing I want to know about him with a re-re-done backstory.
The last thing I want is more films about main or secondary characters from any of the trilogies. Show me a Rogue Squadron or Wraith Squadron series instead, where we get something interesting, hasn't been in a film/series before, (almost) totally avoids Jedi anything, and features a pile of new characters or new situations instead of just playing it prequel safe with character backstories that didn't even need to be told.
I am not actually Atomika. HOWEVER. I will say that it had the trappings of a period piece without actually feeling like one. There are just enough anachronisms in the dialogue to make it feel more modern which, I believe, also makes it more accessible.
There are parts which are kind of odd (in a good way) and the ending is way unsettling, but I wouldn't really call it trippy. There's no surrealism or anything. They say fuck a lot. Is fuck surreal?
I think the trailer is actually a really good representation of what the film is. If you watch the trailer and think "this is my bag!" then it's probably your bag. For the record, I hate most period pieces, but I loved this one, if that helps.