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Author Topic: Movies in the Theater  (Read 106601 times)

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Bongo Bill

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Re: I watched a movie!
« Reply #40 on: May 12, 2008, 04:51:54 PM »

umlaut abüse
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...but is it art?

Detonator

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Re: I watched a movie!
« Reply #41 on: May 12, 2008, 05:47:53 PM »

I understand Arc's position: he didn't quite like the movie, but can't put his finger on any specific failing.  I don't agree with it, but I'm not going to badger Arc to provide evidence to back up something subjective.
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Arc

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Re: I watched a movie!
« Reply #42 on: May 12, 2008, 06:07:15 PM »

I enjoyed the movie enough to pay full price and all. I'm just sparse on the platitudes after some reflection upon the craftsmanship, which was (competently, I guess) By The Book. The performances had a fine pulse to them, and I wasn't looking for some reinvention of the origin story itself. However, I'm not framing any shot on my wall, rushing over to iTunes to download the semi-orchestral score, or injecting quotes from the script into my everyday conversations anytime soon.

:shrug:

Oh, and smoking gives you a husky voice!  :perfect:
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Fredward

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Re: I watched a movie!
« Reply #43 on: May 12, 2008, 06:08:54 PM »

TONY STARK BUILT THIS IN A CAVE, OUT OF SCRAPS!*
 :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA:


*This is not the full quote. I am not going to find the full quote.
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TA

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Re: I watched a movie!
« Reply #44 on: May 12, 2008, 06:16:55 PM »

Let's face it, this isn't the worst thing you've caught me doing. :oh:
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Arc

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Re: I watched a movie!
« Reply #45 on: May 12, 2008, 06:58:32 PM »

TONY STARK BUILT THIS IN A CAVE, OUT OF SCRAPS

:behold: Saturday is Shabbos, the Jewish day of rest. That means that I don't work, I don't get in a car, I don't fucking ride in a car, I don't pick up the phone, I don't turn on the oven, and I sure as shit don't fucking build an ARC Reactor! Shomer shabbos!

oh hay Walter & The Dude both welcomed in Summer '08 how bout that
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Mongrel

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Re: I watched a movie!
« Reply #46 on: May 12, 2008, 11:07:34 PM »

So.

Finally got my copy of Cross of Iron

Christ, even as jaded and familiar with such material as I am, this movie blew the fucking head off. Coburn, Mason, Schell, Warner and damn near everyone else in this movie turned in performances you could fire out of cannons.

I felt that one in my intestinal tract. It gnaws your bowels, ripping them asunder... leaving you simultaneously howling for more and howling for death, all at the same time.
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Thad

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Re: I watched a movie!
« Reply #47 on: May 12, 2008, 11:29:38 PM »

Arc: okay, that's all perfectly fair, but it's exactly what I meant when I said it's conventional.  So I guess the misunderstanding boils down to a semantic distinction you tried to draw which, as far as I can see, does not actually exist.
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Guild

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Re: I watched a movie!
« Reply #48 on: May 16, 2008, 06:03:55 PM »

Narnia
Prince Caspian

When I was three I found a book series tucked into the corner of my father's bedside table. He was always reading books, but this series he kept apart from all the others. I pulled the first book out of the white decorative box and read the title. The Lion, The Witch and The something: I turned it over and read the inscription, studied the art for a few seconds, then cracked its pages.

For months I'd been watching my mom's finger as she traced the syllables to Hop on Pop. I started to read, haltingly at first and occasionally interrupting my father to ask him what a particular word meant. After the sixth or seventh time he realized that I wasn't watching television, probably because of my pronunciation, and it would not be until years later that I realized it was sort of inspiring for him to watch his son learn to read on his favorite series. I finished that book in three agonizing days, learning more words than I ever had from Dr. Seuss.

I simply love this series. I love every aspect of the story, despite, or perhaps because of, the fact that it is a retelling of the oldest and most famous book in history. When I was a kid I dearly wanted Aslan to pick me to be the next great adventurer in Narnia.

Prince Caspian's characterization is spot-on, as is Reepicheep's, my favorite character in all of the books. Edmund is the most well-done; he gets his revenge for the events in LWW in a cliche but satisfying way. The dark assembly of the White Witch is creepy and very nicely executed. The movie makes great use of familiar-yet-different Cair Paravel and the Narnian mythology.

This movie is three hundred percent better than LWW. The acting is not as contrived (though the director took a few shots of Lucy near-crying that made me cringe), the story is much more action-adventure feeling, and best of all Santa Clause makes no appearance, a character who really busted the fourth wall for some. A word of criticism: This movie contains blatant Christian value morality lessons which, if one were familiar with but not a believer in, would be glaring and feel perhaps a bit preachy. Then again, the series has long been known to be a Bible allegory and was recently confirmed as such in the author's writings. Also, if you happen to attend this movie during a Christian school field trip you may find yourself praying for the rapture. Christian kids are even more annoying when they're in large, obnoxiously loud groups cheering after pseudo-Jesus' every word.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader needs to be directed and written by the same staff. I want to see Reepicheep sail over the edge of the world and the invisible magician's evil tome. C. S. Lewis introduced me to the world of reading and all the many pleasures I've gotten from it, and I'm grateful that these movies are doing well enough to warrant continuation.
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Thad

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Re: I watched a movie!
« Reply #49 on: May 16, 2008, 06:12:51 PM »

Haven't caught it yet; want to see it with Mom since she read me the books when I was a kid.  Sounds good, though.

(Also: it's been noted elsewhere, but Narnia as directed by a guy named Adamson is just perfect.)
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Mongrel

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Re: I watched a movie!
« Reply #50 on: May 21, 2008, 08:38:33 PM »

Got the copy of Save the Tiger I ordered a little while ago. Amazing characterization. Goddamn beautiful.

Jack Lemmon fucking earns that Oscar.
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Cannon

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Re: I watched a movie!
« Reply #51 on: May 21, 2008, 09:37:00 PM »

Actually sat down and finished watching The Dead Zone. A rather nice work of speculative fiction. Christopher Walken's performance isn't arresting, but it's certainly human. After digesting it for a while, there's a lot of meaning to the movie. The ending got me all misty, but fiction doesn't have to try hard to emotionally manipulate me, I think.
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Thad

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Re: I watched a movie!
« Reply #52 on: May 21, 2008, 11:26:17 PM »

Finally got around to watching Citizen Kane.  I really don't think there's much I can add to the decades of high praise it's received.  A brilliant film in every way and ballsy as hell on Welles's part to make it in the first place.

One of these days I'm going to get around to Godfather.

EDIT: Technically I think this thread's for current movies and the Netflix one is for old ones.
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Kazz

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Re: I watched a movie!
« Reply #53 on: May 21, 2008, 11:39:30 PM »

Citizen Kane is slightly overrated.  Everybody but Orson really hams it up, but his performance, his writing, and his direction are all phenomenal.  I think Casablanca is a more complete choice for "best film of all time," but Citizen Kane is certainly a favorite.
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Büge

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Re: I watched a movie!
« Reply #54 on: May 22, 2008, 03:31:20 PM »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH1PJTY9AVA

I think I read that, for its time, the revelation at the end of Citizen Kane was a twist that people talked about like The Sixth Sense in 2000 or The Crying Game in 1993.
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Kazz

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Re: I watched a movie!
« Reply #55 on: May 22, 2008, 06:00:05 PM »

The new Indiana Jones was great.  I put up a spoilery thread about it.

I'd rate the series as follows:

Last Crusade
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Temple of Doom
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Brentai

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Re: I watched a movie!
« Reply #56 on: May 25, 2008, 04:39:45 PM »

Finally watched Iron Man.

Needed more Iron Man.
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Thad

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Re: I watched a movie!
« Reply #57 on: June 02, 2008, 04:57:45 PM »

Caught Narnia today with Mom and stepdad.  Responding to Guild's comments:

I simply love this series. I love every aspect of the story, despite, or perhaps because of, the fact that it is a retelling of the oldest and most famous book in history.

Er, there are actually quite a lot of books that predate the New Testament.

Prince Caspian's characterization is spot-on, as is Reepicheep's, my favorite character in all of the books.

I love me some Reepicheep, and Izzard is a good pick for the voice.  I'm greatly looking forward to his bigger role in Dawn Treader.

Nitpick: Aslan doesn't acknowledge his debt to the mice when he regrows Reepicheep's tail at the end.

Edmund is the most well-done; he gets his revenge for the events in LWW in a cliche but satisfying way. The dark assembly of the White Witch is creepy and very nicely executed.

Yes, seeing [spoiler]the White Witch actually appear[/spoiler] was an interesting but overall satisfying addition.  I expect [spoiler]we'll see Swinton again in The Silver Chair and The Magician's Nephew, since they're all supposed to be the same woman[/spoiler].

(EDIT: Actually, it makes for good foreshadowing of The Silver Chair.  [spoiler]Now she has a motive for going after Caspian's son.[/spoiler])

This movie is three hundred percent better than LWW.

Disagree, but that could be because I think LWW has a richer story than Caspian.

The acting is not as contrived (though the director took a few shots of Lucy near-crying that made me cringe), the story is much more action-adventure feeling, and best of all Santa Clause makes no appearance, a character who really busted the fourth wall for some.

Sure, but he was in the book.  In fact the first movie took very few liberties; more on that in a bit.

A word of criticism: This movie contains blatant Christian value morality lessons which, if one were familiar with but not a believer in, would be glaring and feel perhaps a bit preachy.

The theme of faith, and IMO blind faith, is much stronger in this one, but the actual allegory is lighter -- we don't actually see Aslan die for Edmund's sins and then come back to life this time around.

Also, if you happen to attend this movie during a Christian school field trip you may find yourself praying for the rapture.

Which unfortunately doesn't happen until the seventh one.

Christian kids are even more annoying when they're in large, obnoxiously loud groups cheering after pseudo-Jesus' every word.

Fortunately, he doesn't say very many in this one.

More thoughts:

As I said earlier, LWW was pretty much a straight-up adaptation, with only a few minor tweaks to the story.  By contrast, this one varied quite a bit from its source material, and thank Aslan for that, because spending half the movie with the Pevensies sitting around a campfire while Trumpkin fills in exposition would have made for a very unsatisfying moviegoing experience.

The history of Narnia's war with the Telmarines, and Caspian's relationship with Cornelius, are summed up within a few sentences, and while I grant it's been eight years since I read the books, I didn't notice anything missing.  Adamson has a good sense of the medium of film, and delivers the backstory quickly and effectively rather than slavishly adapt the book where it wouldn't work.

The raid on Miraz's castle, original to the movie, doesn't add much to the story, but it fleshes out both Peter and Caspian as flawed characters.

Other than that, the biggest changes in the movie are to Susan, and they're welcome.

I'm not part of the club that objectively hates Lewis for his racism and misogyny, but I have to acknowledge that they exist.  He was a product of his time, and the film was wise to clean up Susan's character -- she really gets short shrift compared to the rest of the cast, and her utter dismissal in The Last Battle shocked and upset me even as a five-year-old.  (In my older years I choose to interpret her absence in True Narnia to mean that she wasn't on the train and she survived, given the rest of her life to get back on track and find Christ again, rather than the much more literally-damning interpretation of Philip Pullman and others that she went to hell for wearing nylons and lipstick -- and a quick look at Wikipedia says I read it the way Lewis meant it.  But at best it's still a rather sad and backward condemnation of female sexuality from a DWM.)

All this to say, Susan's been fleshed out in the movies in a way she wasn't in the books, and I say it's welcome.  I was initially bothered by the romantic subplot between her and Caspian, but it was played in a very low-key and mature fashion and I think it worked well.  Part of the ending of Prince Caspian is recognizing that Peter and Susan are growing up and putting aside childish things; where the books cast Susan's maturing into a woman in a very negative light, this movie makes it a positive.

Also, it's a small thing, but Queen Prunaprismia and her baby actually have a role in this movie other than as a McGuffin.  She is a sympathetic character, justifiably upset by the revelation that her husband is a fratricide, and in the end we see her moving forward into a new life instead of just disappearing.  Plus she knows how to handle a crossbow.

All in all, we see twenty-first-century attitudes toward women creeping into a story that wore its 1950's sensibilities on its sleeve, and it's better for it.

Now, if they get as far as The Horse and His Boy, THAT'S where they'll REALLY have their work cut out for them.  I don't think it's coincidence that the 1980's BBC adaptation of the books ended at The Silver Chair (though I suspect the jumping around in the timeline also contributed to the problems with adapting H&HB).  H&HB and Last Battle are both openly racist and xenophobic, but the former is the worse of the two, and I think it would have to be amended to the point of being barely recognizable to make an acceptable movie.

Guess we'll see where it goes from here.  That ugliness is still quite a ways off; for now, I say bring on the Dawn Treader.
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Arc

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Re: I watched a movie!
« Reply #58 on: June 02, 2008, 09:44:16 PM »

A Horse and His Boy (the only book in the series I recommend) will be freakin' Aladdin by the time Disney finishes with the material. Aravis (and later Emeth) will be faultless in every way, from perfectly curled hair and bright, white teeth. That is, if the studio sticks with the series beyond Dawn Treader, as the lacking Box Office of Prince Caspian has been a gigantic egg in their face.
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Kazz

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Re: I watched a movie!
« Reply #59 on: June 02, 2008, 09:48:51 PM »

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