RA Movie Thread (Read 5918 times)

     

    Wait, I thought you didn't do comic references/puns? Wink

     

    Nice catch, since I'm sure it was completely unintentional....

    Dave

    RunJasonRun


       

      Nice catch, since I'm sure it was completely unintentional....

       

      It was unintentional.  Once I realized it after the fact, though, I was still proud of choosing the word.

      Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.

      mab411


      Proboscis Colossus

        The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

         

        I decided to get into the Memorial Day mindset a little early.  This is such a brilliant movie on so many levels, and the Technicolor images are quite spectacular.  I did not understand the end of this movie when I saw it during my childhood, but I get it now.

         

        We watched it a month or two ago when the local historical theater had a showing...first time DW and I had seen it.  I agree, great movie, and it was good to see Sir Alec in a role that he actually enjoyed!

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

        mab411


        Proboscis Colossus

           

          After last night's run, I'm taking it easy today so that I can be completely over my cold by tomorrow. When I woke up this morning, I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to catch the 9:30 AM showing of X-Men: Days of Future Past, since the early bird catches the seven dollar showing and an uncrowded theater.

           

          There's no point in writing a long-winded review of X-Men: Days of Future Past, since these movies either quicken your pulse or they don't. I've enjoyed this movie franchise over the years, although I was never particularly well-versed on the comic book storylines during my childhood. I had a blast watching this latest entry, and I recommend it as a solid summer flick. If, like me, you are not familiar with each and every mutant character in the X-Men universe and you do not spot each comic book reference, then it's best just to chill back and enjoy the ride of spectacular visual effects, awesomely destructive fight scenes, and occasional moments of intense drama. I am always impressed at the caliber of the actors in these films, namely Ian McKellen, Michael Fassbender, Patrick Stewart, Jennifer Lawrence, Ellen Page, James McAvoy,and Hugh Jackman. They all go the full nine yards to make their roles uncannily convincing.

           

          I'm bringing a flute quartet to State Solo/Ensemble Contest tomorrow, and we've got reservations to see this one tomorrow evening at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin.  They picked this one over Godzilla based on the fact that we could see it in 3D at the time we wanted to get to the theater, and because Jennifer Lawrence and Hugh Jackman.  Had to do kind of an inner facepalm at that first reason (especially since they say they haven't seen the other X-Men movies), but couldn't argue with the second.

           

          Anyway, I did collect comics briefly, shortly after the Days of Future Past storyline, so I might actually get most of the references.  Looking forward to it!

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

          stadjak


          Interval Junkie --Nobby

            Godzilla (2014) - Finally, an american remake of Godzilla that is true to the spirit of the original theme of the Japanese Godzilla series, which is basically: Godzilla as supernatural force -- True Neutral in the D&D alignment pallet.  And while it was a little questionable, why Godzilla was preemptively righting the balance of nature by attacking the other Kaiju,  the events and the resulting fight were ultimately awesome.  The cinematographer really seemed to understand the physical aspect of Godzilla: specifically he nailed it the first time Godzilla breathes his atomic breath . . .the tail lighting up is so wonderful.   The movie does have its weak parts: specifically the main actor, who was unfortunately not Brian Cranston.  The whole family tie-in drags like a boat anchor.  In fact, i think the hero may have wanted to see his family dead: three kaiju are converging on SF, where his family is; what does he tell his wife?  "Wait for me, I'm coming to rescue you [even through I'm in Hawaii right now]."  Another problem is that Godzilla seems to be mugging for the camera a few times -- but this is actually in line with the chest thumping of the original (not the 1954, but the series in general), so I guess it can be excused.  My inner 12yo loved this film and at 41, I did too.  The final battle was nothing less than epic.  (4/5).

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

            FSocks


            KillJoyFuckStick

              Godzilla (2014) - Finally, an american remake of Godzilla that is true to the spirit of the original theme of the Japanese Godzilla series, which is basically: Godzilla as supernatural force -- True Neutral in the D&D alignment pallet.  And while it was a little questionable, why Godzilla was preemptively righting the balance of nature by attacking the other Kaiju,  the events and the resulting fight were ultimately awesome.  The cinematographer really seemed to understand the physical aspect of Godzilla: specifically he nailed it the first time Godzilla breathes his atomic breath . . .the tail lighting up is so wonderful.   The movie does have its weak parts: specifically the main actor, who was unfortunately not Brian Cranston.  The whole family tie-in drags like a boat anchor.  In fact, i think the hero may have wanted to see his family dead: three kaiju are converging on SF, where his family is; what does he tell his wife?  "Wait for me, I'm coming to rescue you [even through I'm in Hawaii right now]."  Another problem is that Godzilla seems to be mugging for the camera a few times -- but this is actually in line with the chest thumping of the original (not the 1954, but the series in general), so I guess it can be excused.  My inner 12yo loved this film and at 41, I did too.  The final battle was nothing less than epic.  (4/5).

               

              I just saw Godzilla last night and I pretty much confer with this review. It was a fun summer popcorn type movie.

               

              7 out of 10 socks.

              You people have issues 

              BeeRunB


                Just watched Muscle Shoals on Netflix. A doc about the small Alabama town out of which came a ton of great music. About the Fame and Muscle Shoals  Sound recording studios, RIck Hall (producer), The Swampers, and all the great musicians that went through. Good interviews throughout with Wilson Picket, Jagger and Richards, Aretha Franklin, Greg Allman, Percy Sledge, and many others. Check it out. I liked it. 

                   

                  After last night's run, I'm taking it easy today so that I can be completely over my cold by tomorrow. When I woke up this morning, I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to catch the 9:30 AM showing of X-Men: Days of Future Past, since the early bird catches the seven dollar showing and an uncrowded theater.

                   

                  There's no point in writing a long-winded review of X-Men: Days of Future Past, since these movies either quicken your pulse or they don't. I've enjoyed this movie franchise over the years, although I was never particularly well-versed on the comic book storylines during my childhood. I had a blast watching this latest entry, and I recommend it as a solid summer flick. If, like me, you are not familiar with each and every mutant character in the X-Men universe and you do not spot each comic book reference, then it's best just to chill back and enjoy the ride of spectacular visual effects, awesomely destructive fight scenes, and occasional moments of intense drama. I am always impressed at the caliber of the actors in these films, namely Ian McKellen, Michael Fassbender, Patrick Stewart, Jennifer Lawrence, Ellen Page, James McAvoy,and Hugh Jackman. They all go the full nine yards to make their roles uncannily convincing.

                   

                  Just saw it this afternoon, pretty much agree with this assessment. I generally enjoy the X-Men movies more than a lot of the other comic book franchises, mainly due to the characters. They do have quite the vast ensemble cast, and bring most of them into this one, however there are really only a handful of them responsible for the majority of the screen time & dramatic performances. In any case I decided in the end the best viewing strategy is to sit back & enjoy rather than trying to analyze how the events fit in with the other movies, or pick apart any inconsistencies. Don't think too much.

                   

                  For anyone who has seen it - the best scene in the movie was the slow-motion scene set to "Time in a Bottle".

                  Dave

                  RunJasonRun


                    I had some free time yesterday morning and seven dollars eating a hole in my pocket, so I went to the theater up the street to see Godzilla for a second time, this time at the 9:30 AM showing.  It's not often that I see a movie twice at the theater, but I like this one.

                     

                    In these days where computer-generated effects are refined enough to create anything from our imaginations, the end result is usually boredom, because we've seen it all before.  This new version of Godzilla impresses me, however, because the gradual reveal of the monsters works in a way that ultimately awes me.  Although the technology exists to show Godzilla fighting monsters from beginning to end, this movie wisely holds its cards in a way reminiscent of old-school monster movies, where we only saw glimpses until the big finale.  There's something to be said for generating suspense, as opposed to throwing cool effects at the viewer.  It's the first time in a while where I have been awed by special effects, simply because these effects are the backdrop from a human perspective during most of the film.

                    Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.

                    mab411


                    Proboscis Colossus

                       

                      Just saw it this afternoon, pretty much agree with this assessment. I generally enjoy the X-Men movies more than a lot of the other comic book franchises, mainly due to the characters. They do have quite the vast ensemble cast, and bring most of them into this one, however there are really only a handful of them responsible for the majority of the screen time & dramatic performances. In any case I decided in the end the best viewing strategy is to sit back & enjoy rather than trying to analyze how the events fit in with the other movies, or pick apart any inconsistencies. Don't think too much.

                       

                      For anyone who has seen it - the best scene in the movie was the slow-motion scene set to "Time in a Bottle".

                       

                      Saw it Sunday evening, and agree.  Nothing particularly remarkable about the script or direction, but it was enjoyable, and I'm glad I caught it in the theater.  A couple of points of interest for me:

                       

                      1.  It was nice to see the character of Wolverine, sans adamantium for most of this one, treated as a character instead of a food processor with feelings (I haven't seen "The Wolverine," so I don't know for sure this is something new).  Speaking as a Logan fan from my teenage years, I like that they played on his charisma instead of just his fighting ability (IIRC, he led the X-Men for a time in the comics).

                       

                      2.  Peter Dinklage.  It was wonderful to me that he was cast in a part that had absolutely nothing to do with his stature.  I don't watch Game of Thrones, so here again, this may be nothing new, but I kept waiting for there to be something about the character that explained why the actor had to be a little person.  Nope - the whole time, the other characters treated his as if he was just another dude with plans to commit mass genocide (I don't know that people in the early 70's actually would have treated him no differently, but that's an anachronism I'm more than willing to grant).  They could have just as easily gone with some random, taller actor, but God bless them, they went with him, and IMO he did a great job.  Kind of a generic role as The Box*, and the "I don't hate mutants, I actually admire them!" monologue had some long whiskers on it, but neither of those were his fault.  I'd really like to see him in more movies.

                       

                       

                      *Linda Holmes at NPR has a critique of most of these superhero movies, that they could shave about 30-45 mins. off of the runtime if they dispensed with all the oft-cumbersome exposition and just said, "There's a box, and everybody wants the box," and got right to the CGI explosions.

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

                      RunJasonRun


                         

                        *Linda Holmes at NPR has a critique of most of these superhero movies, that they could shave about 30-45 mins. off of the runtime if they dispensed with all the oft-cumbersome exposition and just said, "There's a box, and everybody wants the box," and got right to the CGI explosions.

                         

                        I could not disagree more with her critique.  For me, the first hour of the superhero movies, with the exposition and origin stories, is the main draw.  I tend to get bored during the last half, when the movies explode into CGI effects and (usually) underwhelming fight scenes.

                         

                        It's like, when I'm watching Iron Man, I love the exposition that shows Tony Stark's personality, and I love the origin story of how Tony Stark developed the suit.  At the end, when Tony Stark is Iron Man and he is fighting a villain dressed in a bigger armor suit, I tend to start looking at my watch, and I start thinking about what I'm going to eat for dinner or where I'm going to go for a trail run the next weekend.

                         

                        The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier are the only two contemporary superhero movies that have kept me engaged from beginning to end.

                         

                        X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Days of Future Past fared decently well with regard to this, but there's nothing in the massive grand finale CGI fight scenes that I have not seen before in other movies, and that I have not seen better in other movies.  I preferred the first half of both movies to the grand finale second half.

                        Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.

                        mab411


                        Proboscis Colossus

                           

                          I could not disagree more with her critique.  For me, the first hour of the superhero movies, with the exposition and origin stories, is the main draw.  I tend to get bored during the last half, when the movies explode into CGI effects and (usually) underwhelming fight scenes.

                           

                          It's like, when I'm watching Iron Man, I love the exposition that shows Tony Stark's personality, and I love the origin story of how Tony Stark developed the suit.  At the end, when Tony Stark is Iron Man and he is fighting a villain dressed in a bigger armor suit, I tend to start looking at my watch, and I start thinking about what I'm going to eat for dinner or where I'm going to go for a trail run the next weekend.

                           

                          The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier are the only two contemporary superhero movies that have kept me engaged from beginning to end.

                           

                          X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Days of Future Past fared decently well with regard to this, but there's nothing in the massive grand finale CGI fight scenes that I have not seen before in other movies, and that I have not seen better in other movies.  I preferred the first half of both movies to the grand finale second half.

                           

                          I'm not sure I agree either, but in her defense, she's not saying the CGI 'splosions are the best part...she's just pointing out that the writers often seem to bend over backwards to try and explain these sometimes convoluted backstories, some of which could be movies in themselves (heck, The Avengers took five or six), in order to make us care more than the movie really needs us to in order to have a good time watching it.

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


                          god hates us all

                            No Godzilla or comic book heros for me lately. I watched two movies this weekend which are streaming on netflix.

                             

                            First Steven Soderbergh's Side Effects.  He's always been more miss than hit with me.  This one starts out promisingly, or at least intriguingly.  For the first half of the movie I thought it was going to be an indictment of the pharmaceutical industry.  Then in the third act it becomes a conventional mystery/thriller with some pretty unbelievable plot twists.  Any anti-pharmaceutical angle goes out the window.  Two different movies really, each one unsatisfying.

                             

                            Next was Drinking Buddies.  This appears to be a cliched rom-com on it's suface but the acting is great and the characters are fleshed out really well.  It snuck up on me.  Even halfway through I was on the fence but by the end I was blown away.  All of the little details of love and friendship sketched out among a small group of young adults.  Loved it.

                            Joann Y


                               Next was Drinking Buddies.  This appears to be a cliched rom-com on it's suface but the acting is great and the characters are fleshed out really well.  It snuck up on me.  Even halfway through I was on the fence but by the end I was blown away.  All of the little details of love and friendship sketched out among a small group of young adults.  Loved it.

                               

                              I thought this was a great movie as well. It is set in and filmed in Chicago at a bunch of places that I know rather well so I was hesitant to like it because I wasn't sure that it captured the essence of the people and the neighborhoods. By the end, however, I was convinced. Jake Johnson sold it for me. The tension throughout was great and any movie featuring snobby beer drinkers is okay by me.


                              god hates us all

                                 

                                I thought this was a great movie as well. It is set in and filmed in Chicago at a bunch of places that I know rather well so I was hesitant to like it because I wasn't sure that it captured the essence of the people and the neighborhoods. By the end, however, I was convinced. Jake Johnson sold it for me. The tension throughout was great and any movie featuring snobby beer drinkers is okay by me.

                                 

                                I'll admit the beer aspect drew me in at first plus we had recently visited chicago, including revolution and other brew pubs (the brewery was Revolution in the movie but I take it only vaguely associated with the real place?).

                                But (just in case a non-beer drinker is interested) the characters transcend any particular setting.  It's a pretty universal story.