RA Movie Thread (Read 5918 times)

stadjak


Interval Junkie --Nobby

     Except even high-end DSLRs generally have less fidelity than even 35mm film, even shooting RAW.

     

    /Photo geek

     

    35mm 100 ISO film is anywhere between 4 and 16 mega-pixels.

     

    A (barely) pro-sumer grade Nikon D3100 is 14.2 mega-pixels.  Canon Rebel T3i is 18mp.  The high-end Canon EOS-5D has 22. Nikon D7100 has 24.

     

    That's of course, if we equate mega-pixels with "fidelity", but it seems as good a metric as any.

     

    Personally, I shoot 400 ISO (Tri-X), which has even less resolution -- but I like the grit of it  better than the ultra-crisp you get from a digi-camera.

    2021 Goals: 50mpw 'cause there's nothing else to do

      I shoot with an Apple iPhone 4S, and I like the way that when I upload pics to RA, sometimes they turn out sideways.

       

      Anyway, back to movies. Saw Philomena last night; based on the true story of an Irish woman who gave her child up for adoption as a teenager 50 years ago, and with the help of a journalist goes looking for him. Good movie, very engaging story. Not very nice things to say about the Catholic Church, or at least certain convents in Ireland. However I think in the end has sort of a positive message about people of faith. Solid performances by both Judi Dench (surprise) and Steve Coogan, usually a very funny guy but a bit more understated in this role.

      Recommended.

      Dave

      BeeRunB


        Traveled back in time to the early, crazy ladies man Bill Murray and watched Ghostbusters, which I haven't seen since the 80's.  It's dated, but still a lot of fun. The effects still are mostly passable. Whatever happened to Rick Moranis? Murray still holds up. His first scene where he's testing a few students for ESP ability is very funny. Sigourney Weaver was hot. The "Okay, she's a dog" line was still funny.  I remember laughing at the ending when I first saw it, but didn't this time.  I came away thinking that Murray should go down in movie history as one of the top comic actors. His performances are timeless. All in all, it's still a fun movie.

        mab411


        Proboscis Colossus

          Traveled back in time to the early, crazy ladies man Bill Murray and watched Ghostbusters, which I haven't seen since the 80's.  It's dated, but still a lot of fun. The effects still are mostly passable. Whatever happened to Rick Moranis? Murray still holds up. His first scene where he's testing a few students for ESP ability is very funny. Sigourney Weaver was hot. The "Okay, she's a dog" line was still funny.  I remember laughing at the ending when I first saw it, but didn't this time.  I came away thinking that Murray should go down in movie history as one of the top comic actors. His performances are timeless. All in all, it's still a fun movie.

           

          Seems like I remember reading, he walked away from the business to spend more time with family.  Admirable, but kind of a bummer for the rest of us.

          "God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people

             

            Seems like I remember reading, he walked away from the business to spend more time with family.  Admirable, but kind of a bummer for the rest of us.

            Yeah, what a hoser!

             

            I was also able to enjoy Ghostbusters with my kids once they got old enough to appreciate it, allowing me to relive the '80's a bit.

            Same with the Back to the Future series.

            Dave

            BeeRunB


               

              Seems like I remember reading, he walked away from the business to spend more time with family.  Admirable, but kind of a bummer for the rest of us.

               

              According to fount of knowledge (Wikipedia), his wife died in 1991 from breast cancer, and he was raising his kids on his own. He took time off to do so, and then at some point realized he didn't miss acting, and decided not to go back. He turned to country music, sort of a hybrid of country and comedy albums. He's released 5 of them. I'll have to check them out.

              mab411


              Proboscis Colossus

                 

                According to fount of knowledge (Wikipedia), his wife died in 1991 from breast cancer, and he was raising his kids on his own. He took time off to do so, and then at some point realized he didn't miss acting, and decided not to go back. He turned to country music, sort of a hybrid of country and comedy albums. He's released 5 of them. I'll have to check them out.

                 

                Ah yes, that was it.  Very sad.

                 

                And yeah, I think it was one of his albums popping up on Amazon's monthly $5 sale that caused me to look him up.  Sounds like he's now the Jewish Ray Stevens, NTTAWWT!

                 

                MTA: and by the way...in my opinion, Bill Murray is already down in movie history as one of the top comic actors!

                "God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people

                BeeRunB


                   MTA: and by the way...in my opinion, Bill Murray is already down in movie history as one of the top comic actors!

                   

                  I'll go along with that!

                     

                    Rio Bravo (1959)

                     

                    Rio Bravo is one of the great John Wayne films, and it's right up there with Stagecoach and The Searchers in my book.

                    Stagecoach was on TMC the other night so I DVR'd it and watched it later. I really enjoyed it and was surprised to find out the producer did NOT want John Wayne but rather Gary Cooper. John Ford was the one that wanted Wayne.

                     

                    I think my top five John Wayne movies would be (in no particular order)

                    Angel and the Badman

                    Stagecoach

                    The Quiet Man

                    The Searchers

                    The Shootist

                    "Famous last words"  ~Bhearn

                    RunJasonRun


                      Godzilla (1954)

                       

                      The original subtitled Japanese version of Godzilla is really something else, and it's much darker in tone than the 1956 American dubbed version or the multiple sequels that followed.  I saw this at a local indie theater when it was first restored several years ago (Everybody should see this first Godzilla movie on a big screen.), and I've seen it multiple times at home since then.  The Japanese version directly addresses America's atomic bomb testing during several sequences which were yanked from the movie for its American release.

                       

                      Godzilla serves as a physical embodiment of nature's ability to exact consequences when mankind wreaks havoc on ecological systems, and I've always related to this idea that our environmental misdeeds will come back to haunt us in a big way.  More than anything else, though, it's just fun to watch a giant monster completely destroy cities.

                       

                      I revisited this original version of Godzilla last night to get myself pumped up for tonight's theater visit to see the new 2014 Godzilla.  I cannot wait.

                      Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.

                      mab411


                      Proboscis Colossus

                         

                         

                        I revisited this original version of Godzilla last night to get myself pumped up for tonight's theater visit to see the new 2014 Godzilla.  I cannot wait.

                         

                        I'm always mistrustful of that feeling...always seems to portend disappointment.  Godzpeed, sir!

                        "God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people

                        RunJasonRun


                           

                          I was obsessed with Godzilla during my childhood. I loved those late-1970s Hanna-Barbera Godzilla cartoons that aired on Saturday mornings, I owned a huge Mattel Godzilla action figure, and I watched the old movies every time I stumbled across one on TBS Superstation or on one of the cable channels. I eventually outgrew this obsession, but I still think that Godzilla is pretty awesome, and I still get a head rush out of watching this creature destroy cities. Several years ago, I attended a theatrical screening of the original black-and-white subtitled 1954 Japanese version of Godzilla, and was impressed at how this initial story was so much more mature and darker than any of the subsequent movies. When I heard that the new 2014 reboot was an attempt to recapture the intensity of that original masterpiece, I eagerly put the release date on my calendar and made a trip to Midtown Art Cinema yesterday evening. The bad news is that this new movie does not hold a candle to that original 1954 film. The good news is that it is easily the best Godzilla movie that has been released since that first film, and that it sets the bar high for the rest of the big summer movies this year.

                           

                          The most notable success of this new film is that it wonderfully conveys the size and immensity of Godzilla and the other giant creatures by showing them from a human perspective with the camera eye looking up from ground level. Director Gareth Edwards employs some filmmaking choices that may frustrate viewers accustomed to epic rampages of earlier Godzilla films that were shown from a distant vantage point, because he mostly depicts the monsters with fleeting glimpses, in the same way that we might witness the monsters in real life if we were on the ground beneath them and trying to escape from the destruction. Imagine, for instance, how a game of football on your front lawn might appear from the perspective of ants and insects that are looking up from between the blades of grass and scrambling to avoid being crushed from above by the massive humans who are constantly running around and tackling one another. The daunting aspect of this updated Godzilla is not that these huge monsters are purposely trying to destroy us, but rather that they simply do not realize that we are there beneath their feet while they are walking through our cities and focusing on killing each other. More than anything, this movie is a reminder that we humans are tiny and insignificant in the grand scheme of nature, and that we might just be temporary guests here while larger things are happening beyond our limited scope. Godzilla will make you feel small.

                           

                          The cast consists of several talented actors, namely Bryan Cranston, Ken Watanabe, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, David Strathairn, and Sally Hawkins. None of these actors will win any awards for their roles in this movie, though, and their impact is limited by a script of predictable clichés and contrivances. I probably speak for most when I say that I was rolling my eyes at the fact that the soldier played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson just happens to be located right in the middle of every big monster attack. I believe, however, that people in a Godzilla film deserve admiration and credit simply for acting out their roles with straight faces, and I am impressed that all of the actors treat the subject matter seriously without resorting to campiness. This movie thankfully omits any forced attempts at lame humor, and all of the actors here are playing it straight.

                           

                          The title character is not seen in full for most of the film, and Gareth Edwards takes cues from Steven Spielberg’s Jaws by keeping us in suspense and not putting his cards on the table too soon with regard to showcasing the special effects. When Godzilla finally appears in all of his immense glory, however, the visuals are worth the wait. The massive physical presence of this creature is the one thing that the movie really gets right, and these scenes alone are good enough for me to give this movie a solid four-star review. This updated Godzilla is a triumph of digital effects and sound, pure and simple. When Godzilla roars, the sound explodes out of the speakers and almost seems to shake the theater. This movie may take its time acquainting us with the creatures, but the final payoff is spectacular. When Godzilla unleashes a fierce beatdown on two other monsters in the middle of San Francisco and uses his atomic breath, it is impossible to watch without cheering.

                           

                          Highly recommended!

                          Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.

                          BeeRunB


                            Godzilla (1954)

                             

                            The original subtitled Japanese version of Godzilla is really something else, and it's much darker in tone than the 1956 American dubbed version or the multiple sequels that followed.  I saw this at a local indie theater when it was first restored several years ago (Everybody should see this first Godzilla movie on a big screen.), and I've seen it multiple times at home since then.  The Japanese version directly addresses America's atomic bomb testing during several sequences which were yanked from the movie for its American release.

                             

                            Godzilla serves as a physical embodiment of nature's ability to exact consequences when mankind wreaks havoc on ecological systems, and I've always related to this idea that our environmental misdeeds will come back to haunt us in a big way.  More than anything else, though, it's just fun to watch a giant monster completely destroy cities.

                             

                            I revisited this original version of Godzilla last night to get myself pumped up for tonight's theater visit to see the new 2014 Godzilla.  I cannot wait.

                            My memory of that genre is watching those on the UHF channel 56 out of Boston, on my small TV in my bedroom. The picture was always  bit snowy, which added to the effect (I didn't mind the awful picture at all). In northeast Rhode Island we had channel 12, 10, 6, 36 (PBS) and UHF 56 and 38 (bothy snowy). And life was grand.

                             

                            Raymond Burr sticks out as being in one of those movies, if I remember correctly.

                              R.I.P.D. - a supernatural action comedy which should sate Ghostbusters lovers. granted, Bridges may not be a Murray, but he clicks really well with Reynolds and it makes for a fun 90 mins; and there's a Zuulesque ending, too (3.1/5)

                              My leg won't stop mooing.

                               

                              i think i've got a calf injury.

                              RunJasonRun


                                Raymond Burr sticks out as being in one of those movies, if I remember correctly.

                                 

                                For the 1956 American release of Godzilla, roughly 40 minutes were removed from the 1954 Japanese film.  Most of the removed scenes were overt references to American H-bomb testing or references to Hiroshima.  In place of these scenes, new English-language footage was added that featured Raymond Burr as "Steve Martin", an American reporter sent to Japan to cover the news.  These Raymond Burr sequences are effectively (but not seamlessly...haha) spliced into the Japanese film, along with dubbing for the Japanese original scenes.

                                 

                                The effect, by today's standards, is comical, because Raymond Burr is often looking in a different direction instead of looking at certain action scenes, and the dubbing is offbeat.  Still, it was quite a feat of media intercutting for its time.

                                 

                                Most Americans are only familiar with this 1956 American version of Godzilla, but the original 1954 Japanese version, which is often referred to as "Gojira" (neither name for the creature is an accurate phonetic translation of the Japanese writing, but "Godzilla" is the best try), is easily available, since it surfaced here a few years back.  If you have even the slightest interest in Godzilla, then I highly recommend this original Japanese version.

                                Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.