RA Movie Thread (Read 5918 times)

RunJasonRun


    Springbreakers (2012) -- okay, stay with me here.  This film looks like a tame "girls gone wild" rip-off.  It's not.  Okay, it kinda is.  But that's not the point.  This is actually an art-house flick.  And a pretty good one at that.  More accurately the first half is a very good art-house flick with a introspective look at just what spring break means to many people.  It's spiritual.  The director is offering a good glimpse behind the Bacchanalia into the Beat-like soul of the endeavor.  If you thought "The Beach" captured the spirituality of travelling (until it turned into a 'movie' when the drug-lords showed up), then you might be open to this movie as well.  It has the same problem though: drug-lord shows up (James DeFranco) and it turns into another movie completely -- a left turn to Hollywood.   It's still interesting, but devoid of soul (as is paralleled by the main character from the 'first film" departing).  Anyway, if you're up for a bit of a challenge, try the film and feel free to turn it off when the Christian-girl leaves on the bus. (4/5)

     

     

    I rented Spring Breakers when it was released a couple months ago, because I had read some great reviews.

    I would probably only rank it 3/5, and I have no desire to see it again, but it did offer some food for thought.  There's a lot of commentary about the sense of entitlement, about the false bravado of thug culture, and about emotional detachment in general.  James Franco has quite a different role, and my favorite scene of the movie is when he is having the up-close talk with the Christian girl.

     

    I kept thinking that Spring Breakers would play out like some "after school special" by showing tragic events happen to reckless young people, but, to its credit, Spring Breakers went in another direction that will appeal to some people or turn some people off.  The detachment of the final sequences is disturbing in itself.  "Pretend it's a video game."

    There's really nothing titillating or sexy about this movie at all.  For me, Spring Breakers seemed to reflect an actual spring break vacation, where, even as a college-aged kid, the idea seems a lot more fun than the reality, which is smothered with alcohol, noisy atmosphere, sunburn, and over-stimulation.

    Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.

    BeeRunB


      Watched Jeff Who Lives At Home on Netflix streaming. Stars Jason Segel, whose body of work I really enjoy, this movie included. Good flick. Fun and unique, and if you're name is Kevin, even that much better.

      Cool

      BeeRunB


        If you like good sports documentaries, check out Undefeated. Very good. The film about a high school football  team, the Manassas Tigers of Memphis,  after not having a winning season for eons. Sort of a real life Friday Night Lights. Currently on Netflix. Cool

        mab411


        Proboscis Colossus

          Wasn't sure if this belonged in this thread or the "TV Shows That Jumped The Shark" thread, but I just started Twin Peaks, which I didn't watch when it was on the network.  Based on all the pop culture references I've seen and heard, I expected just unadulterated weirdness for weirdness' sake, and maybe that seemed to be the case back when it first aired, but I'm really enjoying it.  Piper Laurie's chewing the scenery a little, and I'm very much ready to hear something besides the same two or three tracks in the score, but I find the characters and the story really interesting.

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

          RunJasonRun


            The Fly (1958  version)

             

            "Help me!  Help meeee!"  

             

            I've loved this movie since childhood, and I had a lot of fun revisiting it the other night, as always.  The movie had an early non-villain Vincent Price role, but he's still quite memorable.  I had a crush on Patricia Owens's character when I was a kid, and I still think that she's beautiful.  The 1980s remake of The Fly is generally held in higher regard, but I still prefer this older version for nostalgia's sake.

            Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.


            god hates us all

              the 80s version is a different movie altogether. I like it but the original made a big impression on me as a kid too. The ending is classic.

               

              The Fly (1958  version)

               

              "Help me!  Help meeee!"  

               

              I've loved this movie since childhood, and I had a lot of fun revisiting it the other night, as always.  The movie had an early non-villain Vincent Price role, but he's still quite memorable.  I had a crush on Patricia Owens's character when I was a kid, and I still think that she's beautiful.  The 1980s remake of The Fly is generally held in higher regard, but I still prefer this older version for nostalgia's sake.

              mab411


              Proboscis Colossus

                Currently watching Rocky - just got the "Undisputed Collection" in from Amazon, and plan on re-watching the whole series over the next few weeks (though I'm thinking about skipping Rocky V).

                 

                Finishing up the first one right now.  I'd forgotten how well-written this series started out.

                 

                Kind of an interesting phenomena here...not sure if it's a problem with the disc or my audio setup, but we're not getting the audio of the punches "connecting" in the final fight.  The bass impact of the body shots is there, but the "smack" of that intriguing face-blocking technique they have is gone, and as a result, the stagecraft of the fight is really obvious.  I don't remember it being so obvious the punches weren't connecting (though it's been so long, I don't remember most of this movie)...pretty amazing how much the sound editing adds to the realism.

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

                BeeRunB


                  There's a scene in The Godfather in which Sonny beats up Carlo with the trash can lid in the street. It's always bothered me that you can see him completely miss on one punch and Carlo reacts as if he was hit. That's the way it's supposed to be done. A good stage punch should be all air, but it needs to be filmed from the back of one of the fighters, not the side. I'm surprised it was left in the movie.

                   

                   

                  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTit869LfWA

                   

                  Currently watching Rocky - just got the "Undisputed Collection" in from Amazon, and plan on re-watching the whole series over the next few weeks (though I'm thinking about skipping Rocky V).

                   

                  Finishing up the first one right now.  I'd forgotten how well-written this series started out.

                   

                  Kind of an interesting phenomena here...not sure if it's a problem with the disc or my audio setup, but we're not getting the audio of the punches "connecting" in the final fight.  The bass impact of the body shots is there, but the "smack" of that intriguing face-blocking technique they have is gone, and as a result, the stagecraft of the fight is really obvious.  I don't remember it being so obvious the punches weren't connecting (though it's been so long, I don't remember most of this movie)...pretty amazing how much the sound editing adds to the realism.

                  mab411


                  Proboscis Colossus

                    There's a scene in The Godfather in which Sonny beats up Carlo with the trash can lid in the street. It's always bothered me that you can see him completely miss on one punch and Carlo reacts as if he was hit. That's the way it's supposed to be done. A good stage punch should be all air, but it needs to be filmed from the back of one of the fighters, not the side. I'm surprised it was left in the movie.

                     

                     

                    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTit869LfWA

                     

                    Yeah, I think I remember hearing about that one, though it's been so long since I've seen that one, too, I don't remember it.

                     

                    Just started Rocky II...and during the inordinately long recap at the beginning, the "smacks" are back on the audio track.  Weird.  Must be a problem with the mastering on that first disc.

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

                    obiebyke


                      I finally rose to the top of the waiting list at the library and got to watch Zero Dark Thirty. Great movie. I remember the protests that went on when it came out about the fact that it depicts torture as yielding reliable information. The torture scenes were, indeed, so hard to watch. But I'm against censorship, so I guess the screenwriters and Bigelow could do what they wanted. I was glad the brutality mostly ended after the beginning so my stomach could settle down and I could enjoy the amazing acting and fascinating story.

                      Call me Ray (not Ishmael)

                      FSocks


                      KillJoyFuckStick

                        I went and say Prisoners  last night with wife and son.  I'm going to try hard not to spoil the movie for anyone.

                         

                        Prisoners: Staring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard and Viola Davis.

                         

                        Summary: Two girls disappear during daylight walking from one home to another.  The police apprehend the prime suspect but don't have enough evidence to charge him so they release him.  Keller (Jackman) decides to take matters into his own hands when the thinks the police aren't doing enough to find his missing daughter.

                         

                        Analysis: Good movie with good tension, characters, dialogue and acting.  Many fine performances by all the major players but I single out Gyllenhaal (Loki, lead detective) as the best performance.  I think with some tweaks this movie could have gone from good to very good or great.  There are a few times the movie asks us to suspect a little disbelief a little too much.  A child's disappearance is a serious and soul shaking matter no doubt and one that as a father I have fortunately never had to endure (and hopefully never will).  However, I tend to question Keller's action as the movie progresses.  He seemed to go from concerned/protective father to raging lunatic a little too quickly and neatly.  The ending was satisfying but everything wrapped up a little too neatly in about a 10 minute time span.  With this type of movie a more satisfying ending would have been to leave a few questions unanswered but I know this isn't typical.

                         

                        The movie presents some good talking points and themes for future discussions.  This isn't always the easiest to accomplish so I applaud the director. Considering the touchy subject matter there are a lot of nuances and thought provoking moments.

                         

                        Warning: There are some scenes in this movie that are disturbing due to their graphic content.

                         

                        Overall:  7/10 socks.

                        You people have issues 

                        stadjak


                        Interval Junkie --Nobby

                          Sounds like you might like The Pledge.  The pacing of the film is a little off, but otherwise it's pretty heart wrenching and viscerally satisfying in an existential way.  Emotionally complex and True.

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


                          Gang Name "Pound Cake"

                            Run! Lola Run!

                            - Scott

                            2014 Goals: First Marathon - BQ2016 <3:40 (3:25:18) - 1/2M <1:45 - 5K <22:00

                            2014 Marathons: 05/04 Flying Pig (3:49:02) - 09/20 Air Force (BQ 3:25:18) - 11/01 Indianapolis Monumental

                            BeeRunB


                              Ran across this short film by Vivian Kubrick (Stanley's daughter) on the making of The Shining. Very good. I don't think I've ever seen interviews with Jack Nicholson before, like in this film. Check it out, film lovers:

                               

                              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcGO07rqRxA

                              RunJasonRun


                                Recently watched....

                                 

                                Kiss Me Deadly

                                This 1955 film noir is fast-paced and violent even by today's standards, and it also has one of the coolest openings that I've seen.  Mike Hammer (the tough and politically-incorrect private investigator penned by author Mickey Spillane) has a random encounter with a female hitchhiker on a remote stretch of highway, and chaos ensues.  Kiss Me Deadly was a hugely influential film, and this is where Quentin Tarantino's "briefcase with unknown contents" plot element in Pulp Fiction came from.

                                 

                                Killer's Kiss

                                Another 1955 film noir, except that this was directed by Stanley Kubrick as one of his first feature films.  A professional boxer becomes involved in the plight of a hot blonde babe in the neighboring apartment building when he sees her being attacked by her crime boss lover.  This one is pretty straightforward and flies by at a fast pace, but Kubrick's flair for fascinating visuals was already evident this early in his career.

                                 

                                The Killing

                                This 1956 film noir was Stanley Kubrick's follow-up to Killer's Kiss, and this one is when Kubrick really hit his stride.  In fact, this is probably my third favorite Kubrick film behind The Shining and 2001: A Space Odyssey.  An elaborately-staged heist at a horse racing track runs into some unexpected twists and turns due to loose lips, a conniving blonde wife of one of the participants, and sheer unfortunate coincidences.

                                Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.