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The Movies Thread

Started by Sakura, May 19, 2014, 04:58:44 AM

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Crewe

In the meantime, I'm really disappointed in some upcoming reboots and remakes:

Nutty Professor (no Murphy)
Carrie (limited TV series)
House Party
Indecent Proposal
The Crow - still
Conan the Barbarian - Amazon TV series
Mighty Ducks - TV
Three Musketeers - not much info, but apparently Mission Impossible style
Stripes - TV series, by far the most disappointing
License to Drive
Terms of Endearment
Splash - Gender reversed remake wtf
Highlander, again
Green Lantern - there was one already?
The Great Outdoors - Kevin Hart starring. So I take it back, this is the worst.
American Werewolf in London - female wolf this time
Logan's Run - franchise
I know What you did last summer
Big Trouble in Little China - The Rock and booo!
Bewitched - T series but now it will be an interracial thing
Grease - spinoff  ::)
Clueless
Many Saints of Newark - Sopranos prequel starring Gandolfini's son portraying him in a setting of Newark during the riots in the 60's
Frasier - continuation
Nash Bridges - continuation
Practical Magic - prequel
Dexter - TV limited series. This is supposed to be a 10 ep project that focuses on Dexter after his self imposed exile.


Animated remakes
Gremlins
Good Times


Out of all this crapola, the only ones I'm interested in are Dexter, Many Saints and Frasier.
Out of those, I'm sure Frasier will be the most successful.
Many Saints is one I really want to see as well since Im a huge Sopranos fan. I dont think it will be terrible, but Im not wholly confident it will be a masterpiece like it's predecessor.
Dexter was really good the first 4 seasons or maybe 5, cant recall. But, the stuffed shirts interfered and fucking ruined it.
I sincerely hope Hall, et al can recover and give this show a proper send off.

I sincerely hope Stripes and Great outdoors never get made or fail on a massive scale.
Why would you name a TV show Stripes? It is going to have absolutely NOTHING to do with the original in any way shape form or fashion.
No character connection, no era connection, no story connection no nothing. It's about a bunch of misfits in the army. Just call it something else and stop trying to live off the name like that shitty Lethal Weapon TV experiment.
kevin Hart isn't funny to me and I can see right now it's just going to be a standup comedy hour for Hart.
Again, just trying to ride off of the name, there's no reason at all to reboot it.
As much as I hate it, at least the female Ghostbusters idea was legit.
Andy btw, Splash can fuck right off too...


BojackHorsefella

#331
It's just name recognition. Marvel created a movie studio and printed money because of all their recognized properties, and DC more-or-less did the same teaming up with WB. Now every studio wants to mine their own back log of previous hits to try to create either "connected universes" (such as the failed Dark Universe) or the "sequel-reboot," i.e. the upcoming Ghostbusters where the original cast is involved to pass the torch and then they can continue the franchise like that was the plan all along. Studios, TV or movie, don't want anything that isn't a "franchise." Outside of maybe streaming services (Netflix, and not streaming but HBO too), most studios are looking for "how long can this show/movie franchise go on" from the initial pitch, whereas Netflix and HBO seem to be somewhat better at saying either A) you've gone on long enough (more Netflix) or B) just having a set number of seasons per the creator (I'll note that Mad Men and Breaking Bad both, I believe, had a set number of seasons established by their creator. Vincent Gilligan (who did BB) also said Better Call Saul will end at 6).

It's gross. Prior to Marvel and DC, there was what, like, maybe James Bond that had X amount of movies, and that was it? You were lucky to get a trilogy, and you only got a sequel if the first was a hit, not "we're ready to announce a sequel as long as it doesn't lose money," which we've also seen happen. It sucks, and it's the business side of movies taking agency away from the creative/original side.

But especially in 2020, when people turned up to stream Mulan (basically a superhero movie), WW84 and the other mainstream movies (Tenet, I'm sure, once it's available) and disregarded other original movies or genre fare (Palm Springs, The Assisant, Bacarau, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, First Cow), I don't see things getting any better.

Then again, I heard people complaining that "Hollywood's run out of ideas" since I was a kid in the 90s. I feel like we saw more book adaptations back then (even if we didn't realize they were book adaptations. Looking at you, Die Hard) but not quite the catalog cannibalization we're seeing of late.

There's a few directors and/or studios though who fight the good fight. A24, Neon, Bong-Joon Ho, Charlie Kauffman, Scorsese still hits on all cylinders. There's good stuff out there, and more coming, but yeah, I'm a bit sick of franchises at the moment.

Crewe

yea that's what I was suggesting, just name recognition and it's absolute shit.
I get your point about wanting a franchise, but also as you note, not everyone does it, I mean some shows are planned for more seasons to start then are abruptly canceled which is the other side of the negative coin.
Programs like Fleabag which ran its course in two seasons was phenomenal, but that's a rarity.

The Hollywood is out of ideas thing is quite old and true, many didnt realize there were as many adaptations such as Die Hard and First Blood.

When I was growing up, I cold rattle off every single movie at the theaters at any given time. Back then, it had to be at the movies first, then it took like almost a year for it to get to home video in the early 80's. Then during the hey day of cable, you'd see some direct to video releases but really not all that many. But now? Shit. With so many avenues, I couldnt tell you ten films that have been at the theaters this year, or last, since, you know, Covid.

There is good stuff but it's harder to find, at least for me.

On a side note about franchises' I really really liked First Blood.
Deeper message, no over the top super hero shit. And part II had the makings of another great film but they just went all action movie on us and ruined it. Die Hard, same thing. Just an ordinary guy trying to stay alive, but by Die Hard II, he's super action hero suddenly.
Granted Rocky didnt go down the shitter until III, but still.
I just think they do a disservice to their characters in order grab some cash.
Nobody thinks Die Hard and oh what a great movie that was, they think Die Hard, the same action movie made what, 4 times? 5 times now? I dont even know. Rocky? Rambo? Still? What a joke....they just kill their original films that were so good.

BojackHorsefella

Quote from: Crewe on December 29, 2020, 06:24:19 PM
Granted Rocky didnt go down the shitter until III, but still.
I just think they do a disservice to their characters in order grab some cash.
Nobody thinks Die Hard and oh what a great movie that was, they think Die Hard, the same action movie made what, 4 times? 5 times now? I dont even know. Rocky? Rambo? Still? What a joke....they just kill their original films that were so good.


I think that's partly why the trilogy works so well. It's essentially an extended 3-act play, comprised of other 3-act plays, haha. You've got a beginning, middle, and what should be an end, and can sort of explore from there.

That being said, I'd say outside of James Bond and the MCU, Rocky's one of the only other franchises I can think of that stated it's case past three movies. Everyone loves Rocky IV, and even though V is garbage, Balboa was considered a big comeback at the time, and the Creed movies have been an absolute hit. Especially looking forward to Creed III since Michael B Jordan is going to direct it as well as star now.

Crewe

yea no doubt the Creed flicks are awesome and I really liked Balboa despite it being a film so deep in to the franchise.
Sorta like Rambo for me, I liked it too.

Crewe

Athlete A

A disturbingly honest report on the sexual abuse of Team USA gymnastic athletes harking back to the 90's.
The doc starts with a look at the gymnastics global scene, going back to Nadia Comanec who became the template for success.
Then fast forward to Mary Lou Retton becoming the face of the sport for USA.
We then evolve in to the marketing and money making machine that this sport reated in our country.
Of course when you start making gazillions of dollars, people gain power and then will protect it at all costs. Enter Dr. Nasser.
Early on in the story, one of the initial reporters discussed watching the "professional treatment" videos Nasser had produced for educational purposes.
He says that despite his artful medical language, what you were seeing him do was quite unsettling.
It just keeps branching out from here, focusing on the reporting and investigating of the story by the IndyStar.
We hear from everyone from gymnasts to some parents to a cop and they all tell an incredibly sad, sickening story.
So ultimately Nasser is arrested and once they search his home, they also find child porn, tons of it.
We see excerpts of his initial interrogation by cops (he had been interrogated and cleared on similar accusations years before) and he is so arrogant, using medical jargon to try and cover his inability to address the questions, and knowing what he did, it's simply appalling.
The investigation, thankfully, does not stop with him as they wanted to dive in to how a guy like Nasser could get away with such atrocities.
Examinations of the sport reveal how brutal the training and coaches are, namely the world renowned Bela and Martha Karolyi and their famous raining ranch in Texas.
Watching this program is uncomfortable for sure, but it also ignites rage when you see how obtuse Team USA, ala Steve Penny, ignored and covered up such serious crimes.
Obviously it was ingrained in everyone, not abused, to protect the product, the money, the gold mine.
You see it throughout history, you see it today and you will see it tomorrow.
Wherever you see money and power, you will see people being abused in slave like conditions.
They will throw out a scapegoat then just continue to rake in the cash.
That said, we are still waiting to see if anything of consequence will happen to Penny. He's been arrested, awaiting trail according to the doc.

We do see some hope along with spirited recovery by many of the victims as well as a satisfying few victim's speeches directed at Nasser during his trail.
While it is certainly tragic, it is a documentary developed with a promising outlook that justice has and will continue to prevail along with the future gymnasts having a much safer environment in which to pursue their goals.

BojackHorsefella

#336
I'm bored and work is slow, lets do this:

Today, I bring you, stories from three separate movie ventures I've engaged upon recently (there's a reason I'm doing this intro, it's not a great bit). Lets begin with Snowpiercer.

Snowpiercer (2013)

A movie that's been on my "To See" list since...well, 2013. Out of nowhere, my fiancee says to me the other night, "I want to watch that Snowpiercer TV show." I said then we have to watch the movie first, and 8 years later than I'd originally meant to, I've finally done it.

If you don't know the story, the simple and quick premise is: in the battle against climate change, mankind screws up extraordinarily when they launch...tech...into the sky to...end?...climate change. Look, the intent or how it was supposed to work doesn't matter, because they BACKFIRE, and the world descends into a tremendous ice age, killing all of humanity except for the inhabitants of Snowpiercer.

Snowpiercer is a big train, on a track that circles the globe (presumably around the equator? Trajectory is never made clear), that rich folks hid away on as they were protected from the elements, however the tail cars were taken over by the "rabble," if you will. Yup, much like Parasite, Snowpiercer is about capitalism, class and, well, climate change. Thanks, Bong Joon-Ho!

To continue would be the beginning of spoilers, so suffice to say, the movie absolutely lives up to the hype. Chris Evans has a great performance, Tilda Swinton is here being really weird, and I enjoyed Kang-ho Song as Namgoong Minsoo (Kang-ho having played the father in Parasite, which, again, if you have not seen, go do it now. It's free on Hulu.) The direction is fantastic, confirming that yes, Bong-Joon Ho CAN film an action scene. Also, Jamie Bell is here, just a FEW years before he'd be made irrelevant by the existence of Tom Holland.

Anyways, Snowpiercer. Go check it out, it's on Netflix right now.

4 Stars




A good movie that was, and what a fantastic recap to share with all of you. That's not all I have though, for I ALSO bring you (here, the bit "pays off"):

News of the World (2020)

No, I did not subject myself to the innards of a movie house, HOWEVER, I did subject myself to the outtards of a drive-in theater! Yes, one of those words in the previous sentence was NOT a word. Lets get to it.

News of the World follows Tom Hank's character, Captain Jefferson Kidd, as he (repeatedly tells people) "travels town-to-town" with news of the world. I didn't have much of a care to see this, I'd heard some mixed reviews, but it was in a double feature with another film I DID want to see, and it was cheaper to see both at the drive-in than just rent one on Prime. I say this to note I DID very much enjoy the film. I can't say for sure if it'll bait the Oscars like it's clearly attempting to do, since I haven't seen nearly enough 2020 films to say, but I'm sure it'll contend.

The "twist" of the film is that, while travelling, Hanks happens upon a young girl, played expertly by Helena Zengel. The girl was being delivered to distant family, as her parents and home were killed by native americans, and now those same native americans are dead, leaving her in her current situation. The problem is, her escort has clearly been murdered, and now she's alone, with Hanks being the only one around. And she's NOT quite civilized.

The movie, as you may have read, has many parallels to the modern world, opening with Kidd reading from a newspaper about a measles outbreak, as he travels a country greatly divided following the Civil War, as they try to figure out how to unite with their former enemies under one flag. Unfortunately (or not, depending on how exhausted you are after the last four years), I don't think it quite delved as far into that well as it could, as the movie came alive more in those moments of him reading and delivering the news (sometimes to hostile crowds), than I felt it did during some lengthy chase sequences that seemed to fill time more than fill the story (although, I suppose we can file those under "gaining a younling's trust").

Regardless, if you're a fan of Hanks, feel like renting a new release or travelling out (to a drive-in) for it, or just want to know it's worth waiting for when it comes to the $1 Redbox months later, the answer, simply is yes.

3.5 stars



Promising Young Woman (2020)

Wow, this movie. The basic premise is simple: Cassie and Nina are best friends, who go to med school together. Nina is raped, and later drops out (Cassie does too), and commits suicide. The man who raped her, graduates #1 in their med school, goes on to have a nice life with no consequences.

But this isn't just some revenge story, that'd be TOO simple. Promising Young Woman, written and directed by Emerald Fennell (who showran the second season of Killing Eve, and wrote for Fleabag, I believe, with Phoebe-Waller Bridger) takes a keen eye on everyone who failed that night (including, to some extent, Cassie herself, as she blames herself for not being at the party where events occurred).

Cassie, now 30 and working the same job at a coffee house, goes out most nights, pretending to act incredibly drunk and allowing men to take her to their place, "to make sure she's ok." Naturally, these men are up to no good, but when Cassie shows she's not drunk at all and is 100% cognitively aware, they all immediately distress and start telling her how they're all "nice guys."

The movie may lose you here, because clearly, Cassie puts herself in a position to be taken advantage of by someone with predatory intentions, but that's not who the movie wants to focus on. Predators know they're predators, the movie targets those who don't realize they're the bad guy. To say more would be to spoil some of the movie's great moments (including a Spiderman 2 actor who does such a fantastic job with his limited time on-screen), but it's not just "man bad, hate men," and instead focuses on "rape culture" as a whole, who aids and abets it, and who the real culpable ones are.

One last thing: the movies' use of Bo Burnham is so effective. I love him as a stand-up, but after he wrote and directed Eighth Grade, and seeing him in this starring role, I'm excited for any project he has next. Incredible talent.

3.5 stars




As usual, I'll note I track my movies at my profile on Letterboxd, right here: https://letterboxd.com/bucfever/

Have my best of 2020 list (it's a small list), my unranked, "Every Movie I've Watched During Quarantine" list, and the simplest of reviews for each movie I watched: Is It Worth It? Often it's a yes. Sometimes there's a no. Riveting stuff.

Crewe

if there is a great thing about this pandemic, it is the fucking Drive In!
Ive always loved drive ins...the good and the bad and they are a piece of Americana.

Ive kept myself in the dark about News of the World because I figured id see it at some point because, Hanks.

Promising Young Women sounds intriguing, and one that sorta ties in with one I just watched which was story which was
Bombshell

I love Bombshell being used as a homonym. Ok that's out of the way.
Charlize Theron and a studded cast depict the inner workings of Fox News centering around Megyn Kelly (Theron) and Gretchen Carlson (Kidman)
I wont bore you with the backstory because you should already know.
Bombshell is a sleek, almost Aaron Sorkin style of film and centers around the serious matter of sexual harassment.
I dont know all of the characters IRL so hard for me to say who all was real or not, but I believe Margot Robbie was a composite character but still, very compelling.
Ailes was played absolutely masterfully by John Lithgow. One scene, and you'll know which one, was just so hard to watch and I think it needs to be seen by every male with hiring power.
The only negative thing I can say about this movie is that since it is centered around Trump and the election and some real news footage, it just reanimated all my disdain for that unbelievable shitstain and any demon that supports him.

BojackHorsefella

Yeah, I think you're right about that being a composite. I'd love to watch that one for the performances and cast alone, haven't gotten around to it yet though.

Crewe

So this movie is a bit young to be referenced as an archive pull, but nonetheless...

Since I just watched Revenge of the Sith after reading the novel, I was thinking about the Star Wars timeline and realized Solo fell in right about here.
I hem and hawed quite a bit because Ive berated Solo at every level and really only watched it with one eye open because I was pre disposed to hate it.
Having only seen it once, I decided to give it another look.
Ill say, my disdain his lifted, a little.
I really like how Woody Harrelson can be a great character and lead actor, no matter what. I love when young uns see him in Cheers, not knowing he was in it and freaking out.
I can tell you, letting time pass may have eased my critical sense of this film, but I think, seeing it now, really, my big issue with it has always been the casting of the lead character. Sorry, I dont know who he is, but there is just nothing Solo about him.
That's another reason I hated this movie before I even saw it. Harrison Ford is Harrison Ford and the only young version of him you'll ever find is, Harrison Ford.
So, to be fair to whoever this guy was, he really didnt have a chance, in my opinion anyway.
Lets call this film a good movie to escape with if you will. Not a lot of Star Wars meat here and I really also thought it contributed to franchise fatigue. That said, I ease my ire and will elevate this one above AOTC.

BojackHorsefella


Crewe

LOL I could go...$50, will that get me in??


Promising Young Woman
Carey Mulligan

There isn't much exposition in this film as the director chose to let Carey Mulligan flesh out Cassandra (Cassie) as we move along.
Honestly, we don't need to know everything because the high points are bled out slowly but reassuringly.
Cassie has an issue with men who take advantage of intoxicated women by playing the white night only to later accost, molest and potentially rape their new found score.
This is not a heavy handed "the cops never do anything so I will" kinda narrative, not at all, nor iis it a blood and guts "Ill get you for this" vehicle.
Carrie plays drunk and goes along with her savior, hping to find a shred of decency in her world, but it isn't to be.
In the background, we know why she is this way, sort of, we just don't know details, but that lure is always dazzling just under the surface.
Bo Burnham, yea, that one, plays Ryan. An old college mate who runs in to Carrie these years later and despite his genuine nature and interest, he is rebuffed by the untrusting protagonist.
I should preface this by saying, look, Im the first guy to admit, I'm no prize and the last one that should be judging the appearance of others, but Bo just has that look, ya know? Oh he is talented, and really quite surprising, at least to me, on point in this film. Capturing the essence of this character and having on screen chemistry really heaped this film up a rung, not that it needed it.
This theme has popped up again and it needs to be told, again, or still. However, the narrative is not such a harsh in your face one, like say Thelma and Louise. Not so black and white. In PYW, Carrie hears, "I'm a nice guy" and she scoffs, "If I hear that one more time..."
But you should hear it at least one more time because you should watch this film.
Wonderfully made and acted. Ok, there was a touch of overacting in a scene, but to illustrate a point, I let it slide. Nothing really diminishes this story. It's not a slow burn but it does unravel and though the interest and intensity rises, it does maintain a solid pace.
If you check your watch early on and huff because its only been thirty minutes of the 1:54 run time, just sit tight, and stop looking at your phone.

4.25 /5

BojackHorsefella

Seems sort of appropriate this is the next reply in succession:

Bo Burnham's Inside (on Netflix)


Watched this a few days ago and it's stuck with me ever since.

The quick background is, Bo left standup comedy about 5 years ago due to onstage panic attacks. He was planning a comeback, which is when the pandemic hit, and over the past year he recorded this special in his home (I'm pretty sure he has a "studio" in his backyard, based solely on the ending shot of his previous Netflix special, "Make Happy"). The special bounces around so many subjects, some all at the same time, but basically deals with the initial "oh man, there's a pandemic" into "everything has gone wrong and I have 0 idea how to cope."

It's a brilliant look at the past year in total, but also the line between performance and authenticity, as well as our genuine selves and our online selves. Particularly for someone like Burnham, who rose to fame from the early days of Youtube, and seeing him tackle the ill effects the internet has had, especially during the past year, with his own success derived from it is pretty gripping (although he seems to fall firmly on the "this was a mistake" side, if you take the special at face value).

One of the reasons Burnham is so beloved is he's not a typical stand-up comedian, he's a performer, and his live shows are full of parody songs and big showy effects, ending typically with a showstopper number. In Inside, his creativity is put to the test and I was genuinely fascinated by the different setups he constructed (I can only imagine the amount of hours spent downloading and installing software, waiting for equipment/props/clothing to arrive, programming the various lights and such, editing in post, etc that this all took). My favorite is easily during the song "I'm Turning 30," where 3 lights (one off-screen) and an iPhone screen combine for a pretty great 80s throwback and visual homage.

Burnham's never held back on mental health commentary in his shows, and Inside is no different, although it's much more intense. I imagine it's somewhat hard to be sad when you're in front of a crowd of 1000s (anxious, sure, but sad, maybe not?), but here we see Burnham at what he calls his all-time low. At one point he's surrounded by various clutter while laying on the floor, head on a pillow with a microphone resting next to it, covered by a blanket. It's unclear at times whether these cutaways (which there are multiple; some of Burnham setting things up, some of him talking to the camera seemingly candidly) are authentic or performative, and the truth likely lies somewhere in between.

Much like my favorite show, Bojack Horseman, Bo's great at both comedy and existential dread, and the special isn't without that. If your serotonin is particularly low, you may want to stop at the Intermission and come back another time. As the year goes on, it keeps looking like this pandemic will only get worse, as well as the world outside of it, Burnham starts to lose himself more and more. While he may have warmed up to the idea of staying inside forever, he realizes that won't keep him safe, as politics, global warming, and various other calamities seem to threaten our existence every moment of the day lately. We see him face this calmly during "That Funny Feeling," an incredible modern, camp-side take on "We Didn't Start the Fire." Lines like "The world at your fingertips, an ocean at your door" and "That unapparent summer air in early fall" accentuating the true enemy of us all waiting to pounce once this pandemic is over and the world "returns to normal."

Burnham covers personal subjects as well, such as the panic attacks he began experiencing on stage, as well as things like performing with no audience throughout he show (in previous specials, Bo's always had a rough time with his audience, one of his shows he states "if you can live without an audience, you should do it." Here, we see him clamoring to create to distract himself from reality (at one point, speaking to the camera, he acknowledges this, stating if he finishes the special, he has to go back to living life, so he'll just never finish the special so he can forever remain distracted from reality), and throughout the performance he uses audience noise at various points, culminating in an incredibly personal performance in "All Eyes on Me," at one point grabbing a camera he's using and swinging it around the room with him to simulate the audience's view.

All of this is to say, absolutely watch this. At 90 minutes, it's fantastic, and I've barely scratched the surface here (I have trouble determining if my favorite song is That Funny Feeling, All Eyes on Me, or one I haven't even mentioned here, "Welcome to the Internet" which is FANTASTIC).



5/5

Crewe

Might just do that.
You know, Ive always bee cynical when celebrities (as I see it) complain.
My first thought is always, you have a fuck ton of money, and never ever ever have to worry about making another mortgage payment the rest of your life. You have zero problems so shut the fuck up.

Through my own growth, albeit way late in life,  Im happy that while that sentiment still pops in to my head from time to time, it's less preveaant and less vicious. Instead, sprinkled more with understanding that any person can have real problems.

Ill have to add this to the list

Crewe

Birds of Prey

I normally wouldnt watch this one, but I do like Harley Quinn and especially Margot Robbie.
Even with that, I wasnt going to sit through it because I felt like it severely underperformed and was heavily panned. However, I noticed on RT it was 78% so I decided to give it a go since Im in a void on what else to watch.
In the simplest terms, Margot Robbie is easily the best performer here except for Ewan McGregor. MEW is sorely miscast here. Rosie Perez was good until she had to get involved in action scenes.
Jurnee Smollett held her own.
Think of this along the lines of a Charlies Angels movie. Matter of fact, it is exactly like a Charlies Angles movie except Margot Robbie carries her scenes really well, action and otherwise.
If you are a top tier Robbie fan, or must see anything HQ related, or want to see Charleis Angels with better actresses, then by all means, tune in.