deanb Posted November 10, 2012 Report Share Posted November 10, 2012 Total Recall Non-Arnie Edition. It's actually pretty good, held it's own. Still the same core of the plot with the Total Recall thing (Though losing some of it's touch because you know that part of the story so there's not much suspense there*), but now it's on Earth with the Unifted Federation of Britain and The Colony instead of on Mars like the Arnie version so the flesh to the skeleton that is Rekall/implanted memory, is new fresh n sparkling. The effects n such all look pretty good, general style of the film isn't very original mind (standard dystopian future with high population n cramped buildings, Minority Report cars, etc). *Though there's one bit that's from the first film but plays out ever so slightly differently which I thought was neat. Certainly the most obvious nod (beyond Rekall) to the Arnie film. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomTervo Posted November 10, 2012 Report Share Posted November 10, 2012 Watched Turtles Can Fly the other day. Harrowing. Amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldorf and Statler Posted November 10, 2012 Report Share Posted November 10, 2012 Skyfall: Brilliant and fucking awesome, nuff said. Ted: I laughed my fucking ass off. Marky Mark should only do comedies he's gold in those. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomTervo Posted November 10, 2012 Report Share Posted November 10, 2012 Still haven't seen Skyfall D: And I'm dying, dying I say, to see The Master. Paul Thomas Anderson is undoubtedly my favourite director, just as There Will Be Blood is undoubtedly my favourite film. OMG I CANT WAAAAIT Also, desperate to see Beasts of the Southern Wild. Apparently it's totes amazeballs. And tomorrow I'm watching Bladerunner (with a girl, yeah boiiiii) for class. That's right, for class this semester I have to watch Bladerunner, Alien, and the Truman Show. Shit is too good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Heart Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 Day Watch. A much more satisfying film than the first, as it builds on everything already established while fleshing out all the other characters (Anton's vampire neighbours, Olga, Svetlana, Alisa) and giving them stronger roles. It still retains its quirky charm, though it can get a bit muddled at times. The conclusion, especially, seems a bit too rushed. And, oddly enough, everything is wrapped up neatly (perhaps too neatly) I'm not even sure there needs to be a third film anyway... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorgi Duke of Frisbee Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 Forgot to mention that I saw The Man with the Iron Fists. Fantastic kung fu film. The acting is ridiculous and there's not much of a story, but everyone is clearly having a blast, and the action is incredible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thursday Next Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 Day Watch. A much more satisfying film than the first, as it builds on everything already established while fleshing out all the other characters (Anton's vampire neighbours, Olga, Svetlana, Alisa) and giving them stronger roles. It still retains its quirky charm, though it can get a bit muddled at times. The conclusion, especially, seems a bit too rushed. And, oddly enough, everything is wrapped up neatly (perhaps too neatly) I'm not even sure there needs to be a third film anyway... I like that in one of the books (think it is the 3rd or 4th) the author refers to the films via a characters dream. Nice bit of reverse 4th wall breaking sort of but not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Jack Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 Watches Animal Farm on Netflix last night. The special effects sometimes are a little cheap and it tacks on a more upbeat ending but all in all its a pretty good adaptation of the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Heart Posted December 13, 2012 Report Share Posted December 13, 2012 Seven Psychopaths. Like In Bruges, it's got a real sort of meandering pace at times but becomes even more delightfully absurd as time goes on. It sort of tries to explore and criticise certain film cliches but without completely abandoning them. Plus, Christopher Walken pretty much nails every line (like this bit from the trailer) and Sam Rockwell is equally fantastic in a different way. Not that the rest of the cast were bad at all either. Tom Waits was awesome, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangelove Posted December 13, 2012 Report Share Posted December 13, 2012 Melancholia. Its actually pretty great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thursday Next Posted December 14, 2012 Report Share Posted December 14, 2012 The Hobbit! Loved it. But I'm a Tolkein fan. Takes a while to get started (as does the book) but once it's warmed up it ticks along at a good pace. They also add in a lot of the untold stories, or ones that were referenced on the side: About the Necromancer, Radagast the Brown and the corrupting of the Greenwood into Mirkwood. It also explains why Gandalf would even bother to help a bunch of Dwarves get a bundle of loot. Which help to flesh out the story. While The Lord of the Rings tells about a land emerging from a time of darkness, The Hobbit shows the land on the precipice as it begins its slide into that darkness. I've got very high hopes for the rest of the trilogy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldorf and Statler Posted December 14, 2012 Report Share Posted December 14, 2012 Seven Psychopaths. Like In Bruges, it's got a real sort of meandering pace at times but becomes even more delightfully absurd as time goes on. It sort of tries to explore and criticise certain film cliches but without completely abandoning them. Plus, Christopher Walken pretty much nails every line (like this bit from the trailer) and Sam Rockwell is equally fantastic in a different way. Not that the rest of the cast were bad at all either. Tom Waits was awesome, too. PEACE IS FOR QUEERS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vecha Posted December 14, 2012 Report Share Posted December 14, 2012 I rewatched Alien...does that count? I plan to go see The Hobbit tonight..hope it'll be good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangelove Posted December 14, 2012 Report Share Posted December 14, 2012 Videodrome. It was fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 The Hobbit. (in 2D @ 24fps, so don't ask on the new tech). It was everything and more. And it wins extra bonus points of basically taking the fleeing of the goblin caves straight from my childhood brain and blasting it out on the silver screen. I'm not quite sure what the pacing issues were though, it actually got into it rather quick (compared to the somewhat slow build up of LotR before the "adventure" begins). I would say there's a couple of points that have a rather sudden shift to elsewhere/previously scenes that are a bit jaunting (both of these being plot elements added in specifically for the film too). James Nesbitt is featured a lot more than I thought he would be given the production videos. In fact he's one of the three/four main dwarfs (it's true that they don't have much development of the dwarfs, but I doubt many of us care, they're mostly just supporting cast anyway.) It's a lot more jovial than LotR too, which was very sombre with mainly Gimli as comic relief. It's an "adventure" rather than a quest to save the world. Also I can see how they'll likely have it extend over three films and it'd probably work. Next film will likely be Mirkwood up to Laketown, and final film with Erebor and Battle of Five Armies I would guess. I do have one issue though. They dive into the whole "The Necromancer is probably Sauron" a bit too quickly for my tastes. In fact that they conclude he might be Sauron is a bit crap too. Especially as it clashes with LotR (60years later) where Gandalf has to dash off specifically to work out the ring is that of Saurons and that the dark evil has returned (And three of the four folks discussing the Necromancer are ring bearers, and one of them was there when the One Ring was removed from his hand. Gandalf will have had Sauron on his mind at the point he spotted Bilbos new ring, yet it takes him 60 fucking years to put two and two together? I'd have had them discuss on a new evil or something, and have hints here and there that it's Sauron pre-eyelid days than practically flat out say it (even though yes we know it is, but we're outsiders looking in with future knowledge.) edit: another minor quibble: Some of the actors are here a second time, and somewhat younger. However all of them that are the same actor as younger people are immortals so shouldn't look younger. But for some reason they've done something with Gandalf here n there (I think they've digitally pasting him into scenes with the dwarf actors and it's not quite right.). And they made Ian Holms substantially younger, despite it being set hours before LotR starts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCP Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 My hopes for The Hobbit weren't as sky high as they were a month ago, due to the mixed reviews, but it was better than I could have imagined. I really want to see it again, and I don't say that often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 (edited) Kelly's Heroes Sgt. Oddball shows how to fight a war. Be righteous and keeping it up with the positive rays. So knock it off with them negative waves. WOOF WOOF WOOF! Also, Clint Eastwood as Kelly shows how to be an American badass. Ninja Edit, see if you can find it edition: Edited December 18, 2012 by MaliciousH 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Heart Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 The Hobbit. As someone who has never read the book, and heard it was a bit more 'kiddy', I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed it. The 48fps stuff was a little jarring at first, but I adjusted to it rather quickly with only a few other minor instances of things looking odd. Everything about the film was beautiful and what wasn't 'beautiful' was really well-designed and animated. The action setpieces were wonderful and creative, plus it was all paced rather well. If anything, my only gripes would be... There's absolutely no tension in the action setpieces. I'm surprised they haven't lost a dwarf or two already; I'm thinking perhaps they're saving that for later. Plus, nearly every conflict is predictable in that whenever things look bad, you know the dwarves/Gandalf/eagles will come to the rescue at the last moment. At least they signalled the eagles one... Thorin snaps at Bilbo completely out of the blue (or because they had to pull him up from falling off a cliff?!), like it was a plot point that needed to be forced in for the 'satisfying ending bit'. Could've done with something more substantial, with Bilbo actually endangering them somehow. I don't know if it was in the books or not, but that Storm Giants bit was stupid. Even for a film that features a guy splattered in bird poop, who rides on a sled made of nobbly branches and pulled by rabbits. As for the make-up for Bilbo in the (fairly unnecessary) 'framing device' section, they did go a bit overboard in pulling back Ian Holm's forehead skin while the ten-plus years has only increased his jowls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldorf and Statler Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 It's nice to hear from people I trust more than critics that the film is actually pretty good. Definitely looking forward to it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted December 17, 2012 Report Share Posted December 17, 2012 (edited) Yeah, it's good, worth seeing. My only real gripe is that they're trying too hard to make it "epic", so every single action sequence goes on for way too long. *Edit* - Also, saw it in 48 fps 3D and nothing looked weird to me, so I'm not convinced that it's just that people aren't used to it. Anyone who's been using the smoothing feature on their HDTV shouldn't have a problem with it at all. *Edit 2* - Also, I don't really get why people are saying the CGI looks bad at 48 fps. It was as good as any other movie I've seen, taking into account that living things are always harder to animate than mechanical things. Certainly at least as good as LotR. Edited December 17, 2012 by TheMightyEthan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted December 17, 2012 Report Share Posted December 17, 2012 Sure the CGI is about on par with LotR, a decade old film. Also in LotR there was a lot less CGI, the close-ups were prosthetic humans. Unlike Hobbit where pretty much every one that's not a dwarf, hobbit or human is fully CGI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Heart Posted December 17, 2012 Report Share Posted December 17, 2012 I thought the CGI looked fantastic, and had no problems whatsoever. It was certainly much better than something like Legolas climbing over a troll or oliphant/onto a horse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted December 18, 2012 Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 Sure the CGI is about on par with LotR, a decade old film. Also in LotR there was a lot less CGI, the close-ups were prosthetic humans. Unlike Hobbit where pretty much every one that's not a dwarf, hobbit or human is fully CGI. I said "at least as good as LotR". :-P I also said it looks as good as any other movie I've seen. Can you point to a movie with better CGI? (better organics, that is, as I said mechanical things can be made to look really really good... also that's a serious question, not rhetorical) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted December 18, 2012 Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 Well Avatar will be the biggy for a while. And it's not exactly the issue of whether the CGI is particularly worse or better than other films, The Hobbit's main issue is that it's largely inappropriate. Real life is pretty much always going to look better than CGI, yet with The Hobbit they seemingly chose to use CGI for pretty much everything which is a huge shame as they've got WETA on-board and they're master practical effects guys. Sure when doing massive amounts of goblins and armies of dwarfs use CGI, it's hard to get that many extras. But what was wrong with LotRs use of having close-ups being prosthetic dudes or animatronics trees? It certainly tied the scenes together a bit more in making the other 10,000 orcs "real". Out of the Frying Pan was particularly overdone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madbassman39 Posted December 18, 2012 Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 I guess I would put Hobbit here. I didn't quite like it as much as the LotR trilogy, but I enjoyed it a lot. I did have a few pacing issues with the film, a few scenes were thrown in that seemed to be too quick on a dialogue level compared to the rest of the movie. Action sequences felt one on top of the other also, but not a bad thing, I just felt that it wasn't as well paced as LotR was. Maybe I'm getting too old to sit in a theater for 3 hours at one time. I also was really really bothered by the orcs and goblins being 100% CGI. I felt that the design of these guys were very different from what they were in LotR, and for some strange reason they all suffered from the cave troll disease and had their eyes too far apart and very small for their heads. Still I couldn't help but enjoy the movie all the way through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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