28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[transmogrifier]

What are your thoughts on Superman IV?

Never seen any of the Reeve Supermans.

[Peng]

Layer Cake (2004)

Aims for grounded, somehow so laid back it comes off (too) sleepy at times, lacking the momentum to make the familiarly convoluted crime plot really engaging. Daniel Craig has such immediately star-making presence in this to be worth it though. 6.5/10

Strozek (1977)

Can't decide if many of the skimpy details, especially regarding their immigrant lives, are either evocative/poetic or just irritatingly unimaginative. Otherwise the film hits a sweet tonal spot alternating between lovely and mournful though. And that ending is divine, divinely sad. 7.5/10

Police Story 3: Supercop (1992)

Just veryyyy slightly below the first one in pure action goodness. May have the best story of the three, but it also shows how deceptively effortless Chan's storytelling in the first Police Story is, with that one maintaining an easy-going charm in between big action set-pieces, whereas Supercop has some lulls in its otherwise engaging storyline. Compensates by having its action spectacle be a rising graph, constantly raising intensity all the way to that truly insane, pull-out-all-stop fiery finish, and also by Chan getting an equal to work alongsides with in Michelle Yeoh's equally charismatic character. 7.5/10

[Skitch]

That shot of him jumping through the hut window just ahead of explosion is remarkable.

[Peng]

It is!

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GVWpHYDFU5g/Wt_6oidjtZI/AAAAAAAAA5g/kF7IGWo1_Mke11QVTC9UYKSrvkv6hn LkACEwYBhgL/s1600/PS3_Dive_from_Explosion.gif

Can’t find it, but I’m also partial to the one where Chan dives into a hut window, accidentally shutting it down after him, so that when Yeoh immediately dives following him, she bounces off it to the ground. Minor touch but it’s both realistic and hilarious.

[MadMan]

I like BD. Sure, his opinions are whack a lot of the time, but he explains himself, and is never abusive.
I like Skitch. Sure, his opinions are whack a lot of the time, but he has passion and verve.
I like Irish. Sure, his opinions are whack a lot of the time, but he is articulate and unpredictable.
I like Madman. Sure, his opinions are whack a lot of the time, but he has a pure love for movies that can't be beat.
Spinal, though? That dude needs reigning in.

trans, never leave us. Also my opinions are full on whack all the time.

[Skitch]

It is!

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GVWpHYDFU5g/Wt_6oidjtZI/AAAAAAAAA5g/kF7IGWo1_Mke11QVTC9UYKSrvkv6hn LkACEwYBhgL/s1600/PS3_Dive_from_Explosion.gif

Can’t find it, but I’m also partial to the one where Chan dives into a hut window, accidentally shutting it down after him, so that when Yeoh immediately dives following him, she bounces off it to the ground. Minor touch but it’s both realistic and hilarious.

Yep that scene is also awesome. If you havent seen Supercop 2, it's totally worth a watch.

[MadMan]

I really want to hear peoples’ thoughts on Furie’s mise en scene, and whether Mark Pillow’s method acting tactic of actually exposing himself to nuclear radiation and becoming Nuclear Man for real hurt or helped the film’s message of nuclear disarmament.Well it helped since Superman had to defeat him to finally achieve world peace for all mankind. Rocky ended communism in 1985 and Superman got rid of nuclear weapons in 1987. What a time to be alive.

[MadMan]

I am so behind on Jackie Chan films.

Also I love Layer Cake, but that film is really dated already. Craig sure made a great Bond, though.

[Skitch]

My God, that gif. You know theres some dude holding a trigger who was told "the second his knees clear the railing, hit it." And Chan is leap diving like his life depends on it because HIS LIFE DEPENDS ON IT. What a maniac.

[dreamdead]

Diao Yinan's Chinese neonoir Black Coal, Thin Ice is the sort of re-imagining of the purpose of noir tropes that I'd been waiting for without even knowing it. It plays so many noir tropes, but it's undergirded by a strong sense of Chinese economies and low-lifes that take advantage of individuals that it ends somewhere new. It's got an opaque ending that's likely to continue growing in my esteem, and it has two or three sequences (the horse, the first time jump, the final fireworks display) that are absolutely riveting in their insurrectional power.

[MadMan]

Oooh Chinese neo noir? Sign me up.

[StanleyK]

Kar-Wai Wong:

As Tears Go By - 5.5
Days of Being Wild - 7
Ashes of Time - 5.5
Chungking Express - 8.5
Fallen Angels - 5.5
Happy Together - 7
In the Mood for Love - 10
2046 - 7
My Blueberry Nights - 5.5
The Grandmaster - 4



One masterpiece and one excellent movie, but outside of that there's several brilliant moments scattered around that never cohere into a great whole. Also, that choppy slow-motion thing he's so in love with is pretty dang annoying.

[Peng]

My rating would be:

As Tears Go By - 6.5
Days of Being Wild - 8
Ashes of Time - 5.5
Chungking Express - 9
Fallen Angels - 6
Happy Together - 8.5
In the Mood for Love - 10
2046 - 6.5
My Blueberry Nights - 6
The Grandmaster - 8 (up from 7 after a rewatch)

[baby doll]

Kar-Wai Wong:

One masterpiece and one excellent movie, but outside of that there's several brilliant moments scattered around that never cohere into a great whole. Also, that choppy slow-motion thing he's so in love with is pretty dang annoying.I don't think coherence is really the point in Wong's films any more than in other Hong Kong films of the late 1980s and early 1990s which privilege sensational set pieces over narrative unity (and accordingly tend toward a more episodic construction than is typical in Hollywood cinema). Wong's innovation in this context is to push this tendency toward Sternbergian visual abstraction, hence his taste for slurred motion effects emphasizing colour and movement over denotation.

[StanleyK]

I don't think coherence is really the point in Wong's films any more than in other Hong Kong films of the late 1980s and early 1990s which privilege sensational set pieces over narrative unity (and accordingly tend toward a more episodic construction than is typical in Hollywood cinema). Wong's innovation in this context is to push this tendency toward Sternbergian visual abstraction, hence his taste for slurred motion effects emphasizing colour and movement over denotation.

It's not the structure of his films that I have a problem with, it's the fact that for every 5 minutes of brilliance there's another 5 of dullness (or 10, depending on the movie).


My rating would be:

Since our ratings are otherwise so similar I'm curious about why you liked The Grandmaster so much. That one's easily his worst for me, and the fighting scenes did not suit his style at all.

[Peng]

Since our ratings are otherwise so similar I'm curious about why you liked The Grandmaster so much. That one's easily his worst for me, and the fighting scenes did not suit his style at all.

On my first watch (where this is my first Wong I'd seen) I almost felt the same about the fight scenes, although I still enjoyed it a bit. But I really came around to the film on second watch. Here's what I wrote about it both times (not really spoiler, just long):

7/10

The main feeling I get out of it is that the director's usual story touches are hamstrung by real history. There are sublime moments between Ip Man and Gong Er, especially in their first fight and the last act, where you can see glimpses of what Wong Kar-wai might have gone further if not reeled in by facts. The actual narrative itself is rather thin, but Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi bring a lot of quiet emotions to their characters that help cover for it somewhat. The cinematography is breathtakingly top-notch, and the fight scenes are complex and beautifully staged, even if slightly overdone on slow motion.

8/10

As much as I said about Ashes of Time of how Wong Kar-Wai's reverence for martial art films might be holding back his own genre entries, I somehow liked The Grandmaster quite a bit more on my second watch. This being my first Wong Kar-Wai a few years ago, I maybe was getting accustomed to his style. Coupled with his flawed adherence to the genre, I ended up admiring the film more than liking it. Still, this being Wong at his more conventional than Ashes helps it gel with that setback more. And this time, I've grown to love the parts that aren't held back by its weird structure, and those parts end up dominating the film in my feeling more than I previously thought.

I don't know how I didn't feel this way the first time, but now the fight scenes really work for me, managing to be both deliberately gorgeous in the best Wong way, and also very thrilling and impactful. Some of them even manage to be superb character-building stuff, such as the one between Ip Man and Gong Er. Speaking of, this second watch helps bring out the connection and the full emotional force of their relationship to the fore as well.

Now not having to focus on extraneous storylines or characters (some of the latter still feel bizarrely like they got their screen time cut down, even though this is the Chinese cut), I am able to zone in on Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi more. Like in 2046, they are superb once again, their steely surfaces hiding a depth of feelings, whether they are together or alone. And as good as she was in 2046, this time Zhang Ziyi gets a more complicated character to play, with longer running time devoted to her, and she completely destroys me in the final reel: regret (and lack thereof), loneliness, and determination all mixed together in a great, heartbreaking performance. For a film purposed after the life of the great martial artist, it takes her character to humble, and along the way richly deepen, his story into a grand, encompassing tragic tale.

[MadMan]

As Tears Go By - 8.5
Days of Being Wild - 9.0
Chungking Express - 9.5
Fallen Angels -10
In the Mood for Love - 10

So yeah, I am a fan although I am still behind on his work.

[Mysterious Dude]

The last time I watched Chungking Express, I so wanted to see a whole movie about the blonde lady and her criminal organization, and I could not care less about the lovesick policemen.

[Yxklyx]

A friend got me to go to this:

https://musicboxtheatre.com/films/joe-bob-briggs-how-rednecks-saved-hollywood

Anyone know anything about this Joe guy?

[Yxklyx]

A friend got me to go to this:

https://musicboxtheatre.com/films/joe-bob-briggs-how-rednecks-saved-hollywood

Anyone know anything about this Joe guy?

So this was cool - about 500-600 fans most of them subscribed to Shudder Streaming: https://www.shudder.com

I learned all I ever wanted to know about "rednecks".

[Peng]

It's not hard to see myself giving another film of Flight’s equal merits and flaws more of a pass, if the flaws are concentrated more in the first half while saving the best towards the last, but here… well. After the plane lands, the film becomes only a functional, occasionally dull Oscarbait drama that is better directed than the norm (save some truly grotesque song choices), but then takes a turn towards the thudding treacly in the last few scenes. That plane sequence might rank up there with director Robert Zemeckis' best though, so upsettingly visceral in his usual immersive technical precision and the scene's procedural details; the matter-of-factness in which the black box is mentioned just about tears my gut out. The whole sequence's impact and Denzel Washington's fine performance (not a stretch for him, but he takes us through the character's messed-up mindset well) keeps this afloat long enough before the ending almost wipes any past goodwill clean. 5.5/10

[MadMan]

So this was cool - about 500-600 fans most of them subscribed to Shudder Streaming: https://www.shudder.com

I learned all I ever wanted to know about "rednecks".

Yes. Joe Bob Briggs follows me on Twitter. The Last Drive In is a fun new version of the Monster Vision show he used to do on TNT back in the 90s.

[MadMan]

Peng I never saw Flight, mostly because many echoed your issues with the film. I might still rent it, though since I like Denzel Washington as an actor.

[Yxklyx]

Watched Santa Sangre again. Why don't cinematrogaphers roll the camera - I can't think of any other movie where the camera rolls in a scene. It's a very effective and disorientating effect.

[baby doll]

Watched Santa Sangre again. Why don't cinematrogaphers roll the camera - I can't think of any other movie where the camera rolls in a scene. It's a very effective and disorientating effect.You should see Devils on the Doorstep.

[megladon8]

I’m convinced that people who say the late-80s-to-late-90s, Tim Rice heavy Disney output sucked are nothing but attention seeking trolls.

The music in Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and The Lion King is the best the form has to offer.

[MadMan]

Not a fan of The Little Mermaid because I'm not the target audience, but the animation and the songs are good. I like the rest of those listed, though.

[transmogrifier]

I’m convinced that people who say the late-80s-to-late-90s, Tim Rice heavy Disney output sucked are nothing but attention seeking trolls.

The music in Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and The Lion King is the best the form has to offer.

The Emperor's New Groove and Hercules are better than all of them, though I do like Beauty and the Beast.

[MadMan]

I like New Groove, but I wasn't a fan of Hercules.

[TGM]

I like New Groove, but I wasn't a fan of Hercules.

lol, I’m of the opposite opinion. :p

[Irish]

Hey, TGM, have you seen Refn's new weird thing? A tv show on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Season-1-Official-Trailer/dp/B07Q59QW9P/

[Wryan]

ENG was a great movie that was fun to watch. Hercules was a bad movie that was fun to watch.

[TGM]

Hey, TGM, have you seen Refn's new weird thing? A tv show on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Season-1-Official-Trailer/dp/B07Q59QW9P/

I heard about it, didn’t know it was already out though. I’ll have to get on that. ;)

[Skitch]

I didn't care for ENG, but Herc is really good imo.

[Peng]

ENG is the best feature-length Chuck Jones film he never made. Best Disney film, imo.

[StanleyK]

Robert Altman:

The Delinquents (1957) - 4
The James Dean Story (1957) - 4
Countdown (1967) - 5.5
That Cold Day in the Park (1969) - 5.5
MASH (1970) - 8.5
Brewster McCloud (1970) - 7
McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) - 8.5
Images (1972) - 8.5
The Long Goodbye (1973) - 8.5
Thieves Like Us (1974) - 8.5
California Split (1974) - 7
Nashville (1975) - 10
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson (1976) - 8.5
3 Women (1977) - 8.5
A Wedding (1978) - 8.5
Quintet (1979) - 5.5
A Perfect Couple (1979) - 5.5
HealtH (1980) - 5.5
Popeye (1980) - 4
Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982) - 2.5
Streamers (1983) - 4
Secret Honor (1984) - 5.5
Fool for Love (1985) - 5.5
O.C. and Stiggs (1985) - 1
Beyond Therapy (1987) - 1
His segment from Aria (1987) - ???
Vincent & Theo (1990) - 5.5
The Player (1992) - 10
Short Cuts (1993) - 8.5
Prêt-Ã*-Porter (1994) - 5.5
Kansas City (1996) - 7
The Gingerbread Man (1998) - 5.5
Cookie's Fortune (1999) - 8.5
Dr. T & the Women (2000) - 5.5
Gosford Park (2001) - 8.5
The Company (2003) - 5.5
A Prairie Home Companion (2006) - 5.5

His run in the 70's is probably the best streak from any filmmaker ever. I can't think of anybody else that made so many good movies for such a long stretch.

[baby doll]

Robert Altman:

McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) - 8.5
A Wedding (1978) - 8.5I'm not sure I agree with you a hundred percent on your police work there, Lou.

[megladon8]

Robert Altman:

The Delinquents (1957) - 4
The James Dean Story (1957) - 4
Countdown (1967) - 5.5
That Cold Day in the Park (1969) - 5.5
MASH (1970) - 8.5
Brewster McCloud (1970) - 7
McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) - 8.5
Images (1972) - 8.5
The Long Goodbye (1973) - 8.5
Thieves Like Us (1974) - 8.5
California Split (1974) - 7
Nashville (1975) - 10
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson (1976) - 8.5
3 Women (1977) - 8.5
A Wedding (1978) - 8.5
Quintet (1979) - 5.5
A Perfect Couple (1979) - 5.5
HealtH (1980) - 5.5
Popeye (1980) - 4
Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982) - 2.5
Streamers (1983) - 4
Secret Honor (1984) - 5.5
Fool for Love (1985) - 5.5
O.C. and Stiggs (1985) - 1
Beyond Therapy (1987) - 1
His segment from Aria (1987) - ???
Vincent & Theo (1990) - 5.5
The Player (1992) - 10
Short Cuts (1993) - 8.5
Prêt-Ã*-Porter (1994) - 5.5
Kansas City (1996) - 7
The Gingerbread Man (1998) - 5.5
Cookie's Fortune (1999) - 8.5
Dr. T & the Women (2000) - 5.5
Gosford Park (2001) - 8.5
The Company (2003) - 5.5
A Prairie Home Companion (2006) - 5.5

His run in the 70's is probably the best streak from any filmmaker ever. I can't think of anybody else that made so many good movies for such a long stretch.

But then what a drop!!

[Grouchy]

His run in the 70's is probably the best streak from any filmmaker ever. I can't think of anybody else that made so many good movies for such a long stretch.
Woody Allen in the '80s.

[Mysterious Dude]

70's Woody Allen > 80's Woody Allen

[MadMan]

I love Secret Honor. PBH rules.

[StanleyK]

But then what a drop!!

No kidding, the 80's were fucking dire, but he managed to come back strong in the 90's.



As for Allen, I'm not the biggest fan; regardless, there's at least one subpar movie (A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy) that would break any streak.

[Peng]

Murder by Death (1976) - Holy mother of yellowface, in which what I thought at first would be fleeting surface aesthetic (which, ok, I still love Breakfast at Tiffany's and like John Hughes, so bring it on) turns out to be a constant full-course package (make-up, costume, speech being continously corrected, slurs, an actual Asian to be "humorously" contrasted with). Putting that asides with difficulty, I must make peace with the fact that this kind of comedy will not be wholly my kind of thing (Airplane! is probably the best I have seen objectively, and even that has a ceiling of how much I like it). Actors other than Sellers give great banters and double takes though, and embody their own detective tropes with fun satiric aplomp. And it's all worth it for Maggie Smith's reaction shots alone. 6.5/10

[Peng]

The Princess Bride (1987)

Borderline one of my favorite films once upon a time. Sad it's not that anymore, but it's telling that my very long-ago memory of the whole plot stops shortly after the Fire Swamp. What follows is still a charming search-and-rescue adventure, but it feels so comparatively standard compared to that effortlessly blissful first half of pure concentrated myth. In those moments, the film's overwhelming atmosphere of an absolute classic being built is only strengthened by its self-awareness, somehow both sincere and subversive.

It simmers down to *just* a fun romp afterwards, although it's puzzling that the film's subversiveness doesn't reach Princess Buttercup, whose passive writing stops short of being a serious detriment only by Robin Wright's innate strenghth and charisma. Rallies around in the end stretch though, especially that breathtakingly magical shot of Wright jumping down to Andre, and the horse ride afterwards. The final "as you wish" also remains one of the great closing lines, never breaking the film's two layers at play, but still tying them together poignantly. That Peter Falk is the one who delivers that, in a perfect line reading, almost has me real choked up by it. 8/10

[Peng]

King Kong (1933)'s sense of adventure and scale still transcends the advancement in technology and especially acting. The latter is so fitting for something this unapologetically grand that I unexpectedly enjoy the characters even in the Skull Island-less first act (not coincidentally, the human romance stands out the least awkwardly here out of the three versions). Also amazing how much the template is set right away for its two remakes; I previously thought Kong ripping off T-rex's jaws was Peter Jackson's own detail. 8/10

[baby doll]

70's Woody Allen > 80's Woody Allen70s:
Bananas (1971) cold
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) spicy
Sleeper (1973) mild
Love and Death (1975) cold
Annie Hall (1977) warm
Interiors (1978) mild
Manhattan (1979) spicy

80s:
Stardust Memories (1980) warm
A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (1982) cold
Zelig (1983) cold
Broadway Danny Rose (1984) spicy
The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) warm
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) spicy
Radio Days (1987) warm
September (1987) cold
Another Woman (1988) mild
Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) mild
New York Stories [segment "Oedipus Wrecks"] warm

I have to side with Grouchy on this one, especially if one views Hannah and Her Sisters as a more successful remake of Interiors. Also, as much as I still love Manhattan, its flaws seem more apparent to me with each passing year. The story moves in fits and starts rather than building any dramatic momentum, lurching awkwardly from one plot point to the next, and the narrative and Allen's direction don't even seem to be on speaking terms: A lot of the movie plays like a radio drama accompanied by a series of beautiful but irrelevant postcard images. Allen's most successful film overall is probably Match Point.

[Yxklyx]

Klute was pretty good. Jane Fonda is really good but I think her character/acting is better in They Shoot Horses Don't They? from a few years earlier - she should have gotten an Oscar for that one. What stood out though was Charles Cioffi in a minor role - later hired on for a significant role in The X-Files (heavily influenced by Klute's director, Pakula).

[Peng]

Love and Death (1975)

Sleepers had kept me away from early Allen comedies (granted, I was very young when I rented that), so I was completely knocked off guard by how great this is, instantly one of my favorite comedies, easy.

"For the past weeks, I've visited Seretsky in his room."
"Why? What's in his room?
...Ohhhh."

"Does this come out from dry cleaning, or is this like gravy?"

"You have insulted the honor of Countess Alexandrovna."
"Why? I let her finish first."
"Her seconds will call on you."
"Seconds? I never gave her seconds."

This must be among the most densely joke-per-minute films ever. It has me question myself though why my response is vastly different from the same year's Monty Python and the Holy Grail, in which my feeling on rewatch a few months ago remains distant admiration. Maybe something to do with this having a faint but more definite throughline that (very loosely) grounds the jokes from being too random for my taste. And also that those jokes are unmistakably very scripted, but executed by Allen and Keaton with such casual light touch as to have an almost thrillingly improvisational air? Any which way, one of the great, purely delightful comedies. [B]9/10

[Irish]

Whelp. I feel down the youtube film-crit rabbit hole again. This time because of a reddit thread:

https://www.reddit.com/r/SubredditDrama/comments/cix3nn/rmoviescirclejerk_clashes_agai nst_their_mortal/

The topic is about a bunch of people I've never heard of (MauLer?) with massive followings (~200k, jfc) who do long, rambling critiques of popular movies (like "The Last Jedi," God save us).

But some of the comments are good. I particularly liked this one, (https://www.reddit.com/r/SubredditDrama/comments/cix3nn/rmoviescirclejerk_clashes_agai nst_their_mortal/eva5tai/) which starts:

"I believe that good criticism should in fact make you vulnerable. It should be clear to the audience what you value and dislike, basically revealing your personality as the premise for choosing which qualities to judge and figuring out how well the experience of the medium met those qualities. Hearing / reading someone put that subjective experience into words to understand their point of view, or in the most satisfying case expressing mine in better words than I ever could and new insights, is what makes for interesting criticism/essays."

I took me literally years to figure that out.

[MadMan]

Love and Death is hilarious. "I'm dead and they're talking about wheat."

Huge fan of Sleeper, as one of my many abandoned film threads on this site can attest to.

[Peng]

Mean Streets (1973)

Even accounting for some impressionistic French New Wave influence, the film is still a little shoddy as story -- De Niro's performance is indeed great, but his character's agitator function clangs and grows a bit tiresome in this loose storytelling context. It is casually astonishing as a directorial showcase though, so sensual and vivid in fusing various cinematic influences and techniques (so many tracking shots!) to capture Scorsese's own childhood memories and his still-present thematic hangups. That tracking shot on drunk Keitel, bathed in the bar's red glow, really signals a unique talent fueled by youthful verve; even with occasional bumps it's intoxicating to watch a whole film thrums with such energy. 7/10

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

“What the hell did they expect for their lousy 35 cents, to live forever?�

Incredible snapshot of 70's NYC wrapped around a rollickin' thriller. Every inch of the film and characters are invested with such specific inner lives and texture, down to even the crowd ("Booooo!") and brief bit players (that old woman who was dead drunk throughout the whole thing -- legendary), that it elevates the thrills so much with that hostile NYC realism and vibe. Even the racism and sexism feel so realistically portrayed of its specific time without crossing the line into egged on or malicious on the film's part. All cinched with one of the great final shots, glorious in its abrupt cut to black. 8.5/10

[Skitch]

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
8.5/10

I didn't watch this film until after I saw the remake. This film is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOO much better than the remake.

[Peng]

I didn't watch this film until after I saw the remake. This film is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOO much better than the remake.

Same. I liked late-period Tony Scott quite a bit but if I saw the original first I would have been so annoyed at his remake haha.

[megladon8]

Watched Kill Bill Vol. 1 again last night.

My opinion hasn’t changed at all.

Low tier Tarantino.

[TGM]

Well, it's only half a movie, so... :p

[megladon8]

2 is worse.

[TGM]

But put together, the whole package is great. ;)

[baby doll]

Well, it's only half a movie, so... :pI didn't pay for half a ticket.

[Milky Joe]

My hot take is that Part 1 is the best, part 2 was unnecessary, and I have no interest in watching the combined version

[Irish]

My hot take is that Part 1 is the best, part 2 was unnecessary, and I have no interest in watching the combined version

^ This.

But also: What annoyed me about "Kill Bill" (and still does) is it set a commercial precedent that lasted for over a decade. Sometimes there's a good reason for splitting a single story into multiple parts but most of the time, culturally, we end up with "The Hobbit III" and a genuine WTF.

[Ezee E]

I'm a basic bitch in that I like part 1, love part 2, and adore the combined package.

[Skitch]

I'm a basic bitch in that I like part 1, love part 2, and adore the combined package.

Me too. My favorite QT film.

[transmogrifier]

Kill Bill 1 is fine but his most juvenile film, Kill Bill 2 is kinda boring.

[TGM]

I didn't pay for half a ticket.

Then you got screwed. ;)

[megladon8]

His worst writing, and action scenes that are beautifully filmed but horrifically edited. The epic finale against the Crazy 88 was the worst offender in this regard.

This is Tarantino at his most self masturbatory.

[TGM]

This is Tarantino at his most self masturbatory.

I'd argue The Hateful Eight holds that distinction.

[Dukefrukem]

Vol 2 is definitely worse than Vol 1. I remember loving it when I saw it in theaters, but I haven't watched it since. That's telling. I rewatch Pulp Fiction annually.

[Irish]

His worst writing, and action scenes that are beautifully filmed but horrifically edited. The epic finale against the Crazy 88 was the worst offender in this regard.

This is Tarantino at his most self masturbatory.

Just for comparison, what do you regard as his best writing?

[megladon8]

Just for comparison, what do you regard as his best writing?

Probably Inglourious Basterds or Jackie Brown.

[TGM]

Probably Inglourious Basterds

Can’t argue with that!

[Ezee E]

I'd argue The Hateful Eight holds that distinction.

Between this and Death Proof.

I feel like Hateful Eight might be ideas and characters that evolved from the Django Unchained cutting floor. He liked them so much and chatted it up enough that it eventually became it's own thing. It wouldn't have surprised me if Major Marquis Warren was originally Django far after he got free.

[MadMan]

I love Kill Bill Vol. 2 but I think Vol. 1 is his worst movie. I still like that one, too.

[MadMan]

Mean Streets is an almost great film for being a raw, early film from a master director. Netflix has some
Scorsese movies I need to watch.

[Grouchy]

I love Kill Bill Vol. 2 but I think Vol. 1 is his worst movie. I still like that one, too.
Switch this around for my opinion.

[MadMan]

Most people prefer Vol 1 over 2.

[transmogrifier]

Lady Snowblood is better than either of the Kill Bill films, btw. I highly recommend it.

[megladon8]

Lady Snowblood is better than either of the Kill Bill films, btw. I highly recommend it.

It’s not even the same ballpark.

[transmogrifier]

It’s not even the same ballpark.

Ain't even the same fucking sport.

[megladon8]

I can’t rep you twice, but I tried.

[MadMan]

Lady Snowblood is better than either of the Kill Bill films, btw. I highly recommend it.

I own it and its sequel on Criterion. I have to get to my physical media backlog one of these days.

[Skitch]

Lady Snowblood is fucking awesome, but I also love Kill Bill. If it's not the same park or sport, wouldn't that be like saying "I love Lady Snowblood!", and responding "Yeah, but it ain't coffee!" :D

I kid, I kid.

[Peng]

Jackie Brown (1997) - Finally. The only unseen Tarantino I had left before OUATIH is released here next month, and it is very deserving of the 'best Tarantino' status I have seen over the years from many. I myself slightly prefer Pulp Fiction and firmly love Inglorious Basterds over it, although the latter is pending a 10-year-later rewatch. Curious though that as of now, I feel the reason IB remains my #1 is that I perceive it to be the combination of his other two's strengths, able to juggle between PF's frenzied delirious highs and JB's extreme depth of feelings. Still, this might be Tarantino's best ending ever; the conflicting, breathtakingly bittersweet emotions of his two most well-realized characters render those last two scenes, a kiss and a well-guarded facade dropping, lingering and unforgettable. 9/10

[Skitch]

Oh wow, I dont think the masses consider JB upper tier. Maybe it's just the places i frequent. Personally I've never understood people thinking its lower tier, I think its awesome.

[MadMan]

Jackie Brown is pretty cool. I love how it has people like Jackson and Keaton who were fairly established in 1997 and then features Grier and Foster, two actors that were way bigger in the 1970s/1980s. Also De Niro almost steals the movie.

I love the ending. My favorite QT ending though is still from Reservoir Dogs.

[Irish]

Oral history of Sommers' "The Mummy":

https://ew.com/movies/2019/08/13/the-mummy-making-of-brendan-fraser-stephen-sommers/

Worth a read if you're a fan. (I can't believe this movie is 20 years old.)

[Dukefrukem]

Yeh I'm a huge fan of the Mummy. I put it on the same plane as National Treasure.

Let's keep in mind this movie actually made money going up against the return of Star Wars.

[Wryan]

I think I'm supposed to say, of the two Fraser Mummy movies (only two, mind you; there aren't any others), that the first one succeeded at being exactly what it set out to be in a way the second one failed at. But honestly, truly, I actually enjoy the second one too. I mean, probably only one of them is good, but I kind of love both of them. If it's a lazy afternoon and I want to just languidly angle my eyes at a screen for a while as I lounge around or whatnot, I'd happily let it be The Mummy Returns.

[Dukefrukem]

(only two, mind you; there aren't any others),

You hate the third that much eh?

[Skitch]

I like the 4th one better than the 3rd one. Maybe I should give 3 another shot.

[TGM]

I don’t think I ever got around to the third one.

And I don’t think I even knew there was a fourth one. >.>

[Skitch]

I don’t think I ever got around to the third one.

And I don’t think I even knew there was a fourth one. >.>

The one with Tom Cruise.

[Dukefrukem]

The one with Tom Cruise.

Isn't that technically the 5th one?

[megladon8]

Yeah, number 3 was abysmal.

But honestly...wasn’t it by Rob Cohen? Should we have been surprised?

[Skitch]

Isn't that technically the 5th one?

Is there one after the Jet Li one?

[Dukefrukem]

Is there one after the Jet Li one?

So the 1999 movie is the first? And not the 1932 one?

[Grouchy]

Yeah, man, if you're going to count them all together like that, don't leave out the Karloff and Chaney ones. Or The Scorpion King.

The Mummy Returns is a bad movie but I've always loved the visual of the army of Anubis soldiers. They rock so hard.

[Skitch]

Oh if were counting em all theres dozens I think. I was just referring to the most recent continuity.

[StuSmallz]

Just finished writing something about Schindler's List, and long review short (https://letterboxd.com/stusmallz/film/schindlers-list/), at a certain point, it ceases feeling like a "movie" at all, and just becomes pure... experience, placed onscreen as a warning to never let such horrors repeat themselves, a lesson humanity has sadly proven itself all to eager to forget. However, towards the absolutely heart-rending end of the film, as a character quotes the now-famous line from the Talmud, "Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire", we can't help but be reminded that, although this world will always contain evil and people willing to commit it, one person's actions can make all the difference in that world, at least, that is, to the people their lives touch.

[MadMan]

I like the first two Mummy Fraser movies, and I saw both in theaters.

[Wryan]

I mean I did say "Fraser Mummy movies." I thought that was pretty specific. :D

[Dukefrukem]

Oh wow, I didn't actually realize they made a ton of Mummy movies in the 40s. I want to watch them now.

And there are three "Fraser Mummy movies" to which you said there was only two. I dont know why I'm hammering this point honestly.

[Grouchy]

Oh wow, I didn't actually realize they made a ton of Mummy movies in the 40s. I want to watch them now.
I went through a big Universal Monsters fase and I watched them all. The Mummy's Hand is still cool. The Chaney Jr. movies, as good as he usually is, only get worse and worse.

[Skitch]

And I consider the Cruise one too, since it's part of that canon.

[MadMan]

I like the Hammer Films Mummy movies. Those are cool. I also dig the 1932 original more than most.

[Grouchy]

The 1932 one is fucking awesome, up there with Creature from the Black Lagoon.

I'm honestly not sure if I've seen the Hammer ones.

EDIT: There's only one from 1959 with Lee/Cushing, right?

EDIT 2: I found them. Haven't seen them.

[megladon8]

And I consider the Cruise one too, since it's part of that canon.

The Cruise movie takes place in the same universe as the Fraser flicks?

[Skitch]

The Cruise movie takes place in the same universe as the Fraser flicks?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx50ueZJgns

3:15

[megladon8]

I think that’s more of a wink and a nod, than saying “this is in the same universe”.

Jason Goes to Hell has the Necronomicon in a scene, but I don’t think it’s saying Jason exists in the Evil Dead universe.

[Dukefrukem]

I totally forgot about the reference. And they could exist in the same Universe. The Fraser flicks take place in the 20s.

[Dukefrukem]

My God. They were obsessed with the Mummy in the 40s and 50s. That's equivalent to the zombie crazy of the 00s.

The Mummy's Curse and Mummy's Ghost both came out in 1944. How many Mummy movies a year do you need?

AND THERE'S 5 Scorpion King Movies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EDIT. And the 3rd one has Ron Perlman!!!!!!!!

Time to tell my wife the next series we're watching.

[Grouchy]

My God. They were obsessed with the Mummy in the 40s and 50s. That's equivalent to the zombie crazy of the 00s.
Well, Tutankhamun's tomb, Howard Carter's other expeditions and the curse had been all the rage in the '20s and '30s.

[Skitch]

I think that’s more of a wink and a nod, than saying “this is in the same universe”.

Jason Goes to Hell has the Necronomicon in a scene, but I don’t think it’s saying Jason exists in the Evil Dead universe.

A totally fair argument, but I personally like the idea that they do. And it could stand to reason that Book of the Dead is what led them in their research and gave them all the information they had about the mummy.

Edit: On the other hand, Jason being a deadite would sure explain a lot of those later sequels...

[Irish]

Edit: On the other hand, Jason being a deadite would sure explain a lot of those later sequels...

lol, holy shit this is such a great idea / interpretation.

somebody could make a helluva fun mash up movie (akin to "Freddy vs Jason") that involved Jason-the-Deadite facing off against Ash.

The only problem is that Jason doesn't talk and, for me, the standout moments in any "Evil Dead" outing are the ones where the Deadites openly mock Ash in that Deadite-style voice (well, that, and the ridiculous gore.)

[Skitch]

Question: has there been a deadite speaking to a character that was not a friendly, or Ashley "the foretold chosen one" (at least in ear shot)? I honestly don't know. Or has there ever been another silent deadite? Maybe Jason is the Silent Bob of deadites.

Sidenote: I slept 2 hours last night and worked a stupid long day (beginning at 445am) today, so take all of me with large fuck of a grain this evening.

[Skitch]

somebody could make a helluva fun mash up movie (akin to "Freddy vs Jason") that involved Jason-the-Deadite facing off against Ash.

The only problem is that Jason doesn't talk and, for me, the standout moments in any "Evil Dead" outing are the ones where the Deadites openly mock Ash in that Deadite-style voice (well, that, and the ridiculous gore.)

I WOULD WATCH THE HELL OUTTA THIS MOVIE.

You're not wrong about the 2nd part, but it would sure bring horror back to the ED series of a silent unstoppable deadite. Ash cracks wise, and gets blasted through a wall. Then he gets scared. "WHY WON'T YOU TALK??"

[Dukefrukem]

Question: has there been a deadite speaking to a character that was not a friendly, or Ashley "the foretold chosen one" (at least in ear shot)? I honestly don't know. Or has there ever been another silent deadite? Maybe Jason is the Silent Bob of deadites.

Sidenote: I slept 2 hours last night and worked a stupid long day (beginning at 445am) today, so take all of me with large fuck of a grain this evening.

Yes. In Army of Darkness when they are digging up their army they are constantly talking to each other.

"Welcome back to the land of the living"

[Skitch]

Yes. In Army of Darkness when they are digging up their army they are constantly talking to each other.

"Welcome back to the land of the living"

Yes those were friendlies.

[megladon8]

lol, holy shit this is such a great idea / interpretation.

somebody could make a helluva fun mash up movie (akin to "Freddy vs Jason") that involved Jason-the-Deadite facing off against Ash.

The only problem is that Jason doesn't talk and, for me, the standout moments in any "Evil Dead" outing are the ones where the Deadites openly mock Ash in that Deadite-style voice (well, that, and the ridiculous gore.)


I liked when we found out that Bruce Willis was a ghost the whole time.

[Dukefrukem]

Yes those were friendlies.

Friendlies?

[Skitch]

Friendlies?

Friends of dead ites. Why do I have to repeat what I already said

[Irish]

Question: has there been a deadite speaking to a character that was not a friendly, or Ashley "the foretold chosen one" (at least in ear shot)?

If such a situation exists, it's probably somewhere in the "Ash vs Evil Dead" tv show, because Ash ran with 2 sidekicks and both of them had their own, individual encounters with deadites.

PS: "Friends of Deadites" (or "F.O.D.") sounds like a support group for horror junkies. "Excuse me, but are you a Friend of Deadites?" :D

[MadMan]

The 1932 one is fucking awesome, up there with Creature from the Black Lagoon.

I'm honestly not sure if I've seen the Hammer ones.

EDIT: There's only one from 1959 with Lee/Cushing, right?

EDIT 2: I found them. Haven't seen them.

There are multiple Hammer Mummy movies. The Cushing/Lee one is the most famous of the bunch. I am planning on posting more reviews on my blog of all the Hammer films I have seen so far, a project I get around to every once in a while.

PS: I think I have seen all of the Hammer Mummy flicks save for maybe one or two.

[MadMan]

In the Ash vs Freddy vs Jason comic I think Jason ended up leading the Deadite army or something like that.

[MadMan]

I also want to see the 1930s/1940s Universal Mummy movies. I have enjoyed most of the Mummy films I have viewed so far.

[Mysterious Dude]

The 1932 Mummy doesn't have nearly enough mummy in it.

[StanleyK]

Watched A Touch of Zen. Loved it for 2h15min. Then the story basically ended and the last 45 minutes was a series of fights between a secondary character and one who hadn't even showed up before. Disappointing ending to an otherwise great movie. Was most impressed by how gorgeous the cinematography looked, especially in comparison to Come Drink with Me and Dragon Gate Inn.

[Dukefrukem]

The 1932 Mummy doesn't have nearly enough mummy in it.

No it doesn't I just watched it yesterday. It's not even ever fully onscreen.

[megladon8]

I really like the Lee/Cushing one.

But Bubba Ho Tep May be the best mummy movie of all time.

[Dukefrukem]

I'm watching them all right now in order. Here's my ranking so far.


1.The Mummy 1999 ★★★★½
2.The Mummy Returns 2001 ★★★★
3.Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy 1955 ★★★
4.The Mummy’s Hand 1940 ★★★
5.The Mummy 2017 ★★★
6.The Mummy 1932 ★★½
7.The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor 2008 ★★
8.The Mummy’s Tomb 1942 ★½
9.The Mummy’s Ghost 1944 ★
10.The Mummy’s Curse 1944 ★

[MadMan]

I really like the Lee/Cushing one.

But Bubba Ho Tep May be the best mummy movie of all time.

I love Bubba Ho-Tep.

[Dukefrukem]

Well, it took me about two years, but I've seen all of the Disney theatrical animated featuresTM.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) - 8.5
Pinocchio (1940) - 8.5
Fantasia (1940) - 8.5
Dumbo (1941) - 5.5
Bambi (1942) - 7
Saludos Amigos (1942) - 5.5
The Three Caballeros (1944) - 4
Make Mine Music (1946) - 5.5
Fun and Fancy Free (1947) - 4
Melody Time (1948) - 5.5
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1950) - 7
Cinderella (1950) - 5.5
Alice in Wonderland (1951) - 8.5
Peter Pan (1953) - 7
Lady and the Tramp (1955) - 5.5
Sleeping Beauty (1959) - 5.5
One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) - 8.5
The Sword in the Stone (1963) - 5.5
The Jungle Book (1967) - 4
The Aristocats (1970) - 2.5
Robin Hood (1973) - 4
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977) - 2.5
The Rescuers (1977) - 4
The Fox and the Hound (1981) - 2.5
The Black Cauldron (1985) - 2.5
The Great Mouse Detective (1986) - 2.5
Oliver and Company (1988) - 2.5
The Little Mermaid (1989) - 5.5
The Rescuers Down Under (1990) - 4
Beauty and the Beast (1991) - 5.5
Aladdin (1992) - 7
The Lion King (1994) - 7
Pocahontas (1995) - 5.5
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) - 5.5
Hercules (1997) - 7
Mulan (1998) - 7
Tarzan (1999) - 5.5
Fantasia 2000 (1999) - 5.5
Dinosaur (2000) - 4
The Emperor's New Groove (2000) - 7
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) - 4
Lilo & Stitch (2002) - 4
Treasure Planet (2002) - 5.5
Brother Bear (2003) - 4
Home on the Range (2004) - 4
Chicken Little (2005) - 1
Meet the Robinsons (2007) - 5.5
Bolt (2008) - 5.5
The Princess and the Frog (2009) - 7
Tangled (2010) - 4
Winnie the Pooh (2011) - 2.5
Wreck-It Ralph (2012) - 7
Frozen (2013) - 2.5
Big Hero 6 (2014) - 4
Zootopia (2016) - 7
Moana (2016) - 5.5
Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) - 4

I looked at the Match Cut threads for the most recent ones (the 'new Renaissance') and noticed that my opinion diverged from the consensus in almost all of them. MC didn't like The Princess and the Frog, I thought it was cute and a decent throwback to their 90s stuff. MC loved Tangled, I thought it was basically a subpar Dreamworks movie. MC didn't like Wreck-It Ralph, I thought it was their best movie in like two decades. MC liked Frozen, I thought it was a piece of shit. MC liked Big Hero 6, I thought it was the most generic movie that ever generic'd. Our tastes only coincided with Zootopia, which everybody in the world liked.

My overall verdict: A few good movies in there, but a lot of crap to wade through to get there. Not really the studio you'd want owning half of the world's entertainment, but I guess you could do worse.

I just watched Lilo and Stitch for the first time last night.

Wow what an odd film. THere's no music and there's barely any comic relief. It's like a straight story about a broken home and invading aliens.

[StanleyK]

Quentin Tarantino:

Reservoir Dogs - 8.5
Pulp Fiction - 8.5
The Man from Hollywood (Four Rooms) - 7
Jackie Brown - 8.5
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 - 10
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 - 10
Death Proof - 8.5
Inglourious Basterds - 10
Django Unchained - 8.5
The Hateful Eight - 7
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood - 7



His movies haven't quite been the same since Sally Menke's death. Perhaps it will be for the best if he does really make his next movie the last one.

[StanleyK]

Chang-Dong Lee:

Green Fish - 4
Peppermint Candy - 5.5
Oasis - 7
Secret Sunshine - 8.5
Poetry - 5.5
Burning - 5.5



Safe to say I don't get the appeal. Outside of one wonderfully executed movie, his films seem to have a good central idea that doesn't justify their length and extremely slow pace.

[baby doll]

Safe to say I don't get the appeal. Outside of one wonderfully executed movie, his films seem to have a good central idea that doesn't justify their length and extremely slow pace.For better or for worse, he's basically a novelist who makes films, and I think the length and pacing of his films derives from this. Of the four that I've seen, however, only Poetry seems to me a bit sluggish, but maybe that's because I miss the balls-to-the-walls melodrama of Peppermint Candy, Oasis, and Milyang.

[Grouchy]

I have to agree with Stanley that the slow pacing in Burning wore me out big time. Also like him, I remember Secret Sunshine as a great experience and I think the lenght was more justified there, or maybe the plot was just thicker. Those are the only ones I've seen, though.

[PURPLE]

For me, Lee’s later films always seem extremely fast. That’s not to say that they seem fast-paced like a blockbuster, but I recall the distinct feeling of being like, “Wow, there is so much distinctive character detail thus far and we’re only halfway through.” It’s like a full season of TV in a film, because no time is wasted on banal or cliche that makes the characters indistinguishable from every other character, and yet they are also simple characters, not big and loud and obvious. A true master of detail - a novelist, in short. I feel lucky to have him!

[baby doll]

Incidentally, have any of Lee's novels been translated into English yet? All I've been able to find is one short story, "The Dreaming Beast," that was published in the Journal of Korean Literature and Culture.

[StanleyK]

For better or for worse, he's basically a novelist who makes films

That actually makes a lot of sense. I had no idea he was also a novelist.


I have to agree with Stanley that the slow pacing in Burning wore me out big time. Also like him, I remember Secret Sunshine as a great experience and I think the lenght was more justified there, or maybe the plot was just thicker. Those are the only ones I've seen, though.

Oasis was pretty good overall as well. I can recommend that one.

[dreamdead]

There's a meandering quality to Lee's work that, to me, helps his films feel lived-in. So an offering of tofu to a recently released convict in Oasis gets no narrative explanation, but audiences are asked to assess what that working-class man's act of kindness means against the lead's family that remains complicit in judging his (substitutionary) punishment. Those are small moments that slowly accumulate in power. There's an embrace of melodrama in his works that is appealing to me--so the grand gestures of Korean culture and history in Peppermint Candy and aggrieved personal suffering in Secret Sunshine remain devastating.

I have no thoughts on Green Fish anymore, which is in fact a movie, but a beginner's one, without the layers of interest. I do, however, think Poetry is precise, but in very minute ways that his earlier films didn't always prepare us for; Burning is phenomenal, even if its ending meanders and meanders (until it doesn't). I spent more time trying to unpack that film than any other last year.

[transmogrifier]

I generally shy away from "slow cinema", but I don't find any of Lee's films slow at all. They are all packed with interesting things on several different levels.

[Peng]

Finally saw Tim Burton's most popular film (going by both imdb and letterboxd) for the first time today.M y next two most popular unseen of his are Sweeney Todd and Sleepy Hollow.

Edward Scissorhands (1990) - Being Burton's most personal may have him stack the deck a bit too much, so that anyone outsides of Depp and Ryder ultimately end up irritatingly and/or obliviously one-note, even accounting for it being a fairy tale told to a kid (Dianne West starting out so wonderful and then greatly reduced by the end saddens me the most). Might not be a problem if this is one of his manic comedies, but here those kind of characters kill his somber whimsy mood a bit for me. Still, being his most personal also means that this feels projected straight from Burton's brain unfiltered. His memory of childhood suburbia exaggerated to a uniquely gorgeous yet oppressive pastel vision, along with its intimidatingly maintained rhythms and social mores, ranks as one of the director's best creations. 7.5/10

[transmogrifier]

Ed Wood would surely be his most critically popular film? It's certainly his best, anyway.

[Peng]

Ed Wood would surely be his most critically popular film? It's certainly his best, anyway.

Yeah if sort by rating letterboxd has Ed Wood top, while IMDB has Big Fish. I myself love his first feature (Pee-wee’s Big Adventure) best.

[StuSmallz]

Ed Wood is pretty good, but I've also always had a soft spot for the incredibly kooky, all-out Burtony stylings of Batman Returns, as you can see here (https://letterboxd.com/stusmallz/film/batman-returns/).

[megladon8]

Ed Wood is a masterpiece.

[MadMan]

Ed Wood is a masterpiece.

Absolutely. I think Edward Scissorhands and Sweeney Todd plus most of Beetlejuice (I have seen parts of it on TV) are the last major Burton flicks I have not viewed yet.

[Skitch]

I would like to discuss an area of film criticism I hate. In breezing over the Joker reviews that are coming in, I came across this:


Feeble posturing, asinine pop psychology and political analysis charged with all the cynicism of a mollycoddled teen dropout in fake Oakleys and a home customised Linkin Park tee.

Now I haven't seen this Joker film. The film isn't the point. I don't care if you're talking about 2001: A Space Odyssey or Uwe Boll's House of the Dead. FUCK YOU for that underlined bit. It is so condescending and insulting. What it really says is "if you can't afford really expensive sunglasses, or you make your own tee shirt of a band you like instead of ponying up for the expensive retail one, you're opinion is of no value."

I don't know who David Jenkins is, but he is on my list of critics who's opinion means fuck all. Its lazy writing, taking shots at easy targets, because he can't come up with better words to describe a thing without stepping on someone else's throat. That school dropout in fake Oakleys and home made Linkin Park tee could be Quentin Tarantino, you fucker. Imagine if your words discouraged that kid from trying. What an absolute loss that could be.

Hate the movie all you want, I have no stake in it, I don't care a lick. But shit like that really really...really pisses me off.

[Irish]

It's an oddly specific description. I can't quite figure out what "molly coddled teen dropout" is supposed to mean, or why he invokes that image in reference to "Joker."

But the rest of it is just as poorly written, 900 words of this dude saying the same thing over and over again, that the movie's full of shit and fronts and attitude it won't back up. Well, okay, but you coulda said that in 150 words and not wasted anybody's time.

[Skitch]

Yep! Its word diarrhea trying to sound intelligent.

[megladon8]

I’m still a bit worried about it coming across like a rallying cry for incels.

It doesn’t help that I’ve read several negative reviews by female critics, and very few by males.

[Skitch]

Me too. I read one review on lettrboxed that was shockingly so. It was written by an absolute lunatic. 3/4s of the review had nothing to do with the movie, just ranting about how gamers should be allowed to impregnate any woman of their choice to further their tech smart DNA or some shit. It was disturbing. But...its the same kind of misguided nonsense that came with Fight Club. Agro dudes that came out of that flick wanting to start fight clubs and totally missed the point of the movie, that you should NOT be like that.

Sorry, derail, none of this meant to defend Joker, havent seen it.

[Yxklyx]

Rewatched The Loveless again then rewatched it with the commentary with Kathryn Bigelow, Monty Montgomery (The Cowboy from Mulholland Dr.) and Willem Dafoe (his first film). Lots of interesting little nuggets like.... the movie played as a double bill with Mad Max for a year in London in 1980 where Walter Hill saw it, who then got in touch with Bigelow to ask about Dafoe.

[Dukefrukem]

Rewatched Slither tonight. Nathan Fillion is everything

[Irish]

I’m still a bit worried about it coming across like a rallying cry for incels.

It doesn’t help that I’ve read several negative reviews by female critics, and very few by males.

Who cares, as long as nobody hurts anybody? I've found the response online to be a little reactionary, eg: https://twitter.com/slashfilm/status/1167892546413944833

The film has only played Venice so far. Most of what I've read has been positive. (Of the 4 negative reviews on RT right now, only 1 was written by a woman.)


Me too. I read one review on lettrboxed that was shockingly so. It was written by an absolute lunatic. 3/4s of the review had nothing to do with the movie, just ranting about how gamers should be allowed to impregnate any woman of their choice to further their tech smart DNA or some shit. It was disturbing. But...its the same kind of misguided nonsense that came with Fight Club. Agro dudes that came out of that flick wanting to start fight clubs and totally missed the point of the movie, that you should NOT be like that.

Yeah but with stuff like that, you never know who wrote what or why. Could be a serious incel, a teenage edgelord, or an obvious troll. I mean, there's a parody review on Letterboxd right now that a lotta people took seriously. Like they're clenched and just waiting for the public freakouts.

All this stuff about OH MY GOD THE INCELS WHAT ABOUT THE INCELS WONT SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE INCELS seems over the top to me.

It reminds me of when "Do the Right Thing" was released and there was a buncha (white) politicians playing Chicken Little and saying the film should be pulled from theaters because it will incite violence.

(Not saying any part of this is true of anyone here, but hopefully you all get what I'm saying.)

ETA: I've already muted the word "Joker" on social platforms that allow that, because I know the upcoming film twitter conversations about this movie will drive me absolutely batty.

[Skitch]

I truly hope you're right. And with that sole review I read like that, I seriously question if that guy actually saw the film. He had zero info on it, and I doubt someone so seriously unstable had early Venice access.

[Skitch]

Is that twitter thread what MCers mean when they say "film twitter"? Because fuck me was that exhausting horseshit.

[MadMan]

Rewatched Slither tonight. Nathan Fillion is everything

Also Elizabeth Banks, Greg Henry and the whole cast.

[transmogrifier]

I still have no idea how Twitter became successful - I viruently despise its general layout and design. It's miserable for following a conversation over multiple tweets.

[Dukefrukem]

I still have no idea how Twitter became successful - I viruently despise its general layout and design. It's miserable for following a conversation over multiple tweets.

I find I'm using it less and less too; The only times I'm actively on it, is when I'm watching sports, and I need to check for an update on a professional athlete's injury seconds after being removing from the game, or if I'm at work, there's an accident on the highway home, and I need to check Mass State Police feed to get the status of the removed wreckage.

[Skitch]

I'm on twitter for two reasons, 1. Networking for the podcast and 2. To let loose my ire on anything I want to because twitter is too complicated or weird for my family to engage and give me shit about what I post.

Otherwise I completely agree it's garbage.

[Irish]

I use it a lot, but it takes curation and attention. I constantly revise my feed and mute words (latest: "Joker," "Safdie," "Koch Brothers"). I also have a separate list for art and design magazines because RSS is dead and I have no other way of keeping up to date on those worlds.

But I almost never post, mostly because I resent the idea of becoming a digital sharecropper on Jack Dorsey's Nazi Farm.

[Dukefrukem]

RSS is dead and I have no other way of keeping up to date on those worlds.


This angers me to the core.

[Irish]

This angers me to the core.

Yeah, it sucks. But I gave up last year when The Hollywood Reporter updated their CMS and dropped it from their site. Outside of that example, though, over the last ~5 years I've come across a lot of small magazines and mid-size websites that never supported it. The only way to keep up with them is through Facebook, twitter, or ... bookmarks.

[Yxklyx]

Couldn't get past the first 20 minutes of Chariots of Fire. My biggest issue I think was a total lack of characterization - of anyone.

[Yxklyx]

Looks like I've been watching some Oscar winners lately. Terms of Endearment (1983, James L. Brooks) is a pretty decent film. Debra Winger and Holly Hunter (Broadcast News - another Brooks films) are incredibly alike. Hunter does comedy much better though. The film has a great cast - love Lithgow in this and Nicholson's caricature is in it as well.

[dreamdead]

Couldn't get past the first 20 minutes of Chariots of Fire. My biggest issue I think was a total lack of characterization - of anyone.

People always look at me aghast when I mention that I haven't seen this film--though I suspect it's their nostalgia that's anchored in the score, your reaction doesn't encourage me to get to it this year...

[Skitch]

I would like MCs review of Relaxer. So I may judge you.

[Irish]

Alex Billington is at it again, lol


This time he's raging about embargoes at Venice

https://twitter.com/i/events/1170819859904524289

[Grouchy]

Alex Billington is at it again, lol


This time he's raging about embargoes at Venice

https://twitter.com/i/events/1170819859904524289
"When you experience injustice, when you experience oppression in the world, you must speak up. While this is not that bad, I still fight."

[Ezee E]

What has he done before?

[Irish]

What has he done before?

Waaaaay back, he allegedly blackmailed Universal Studios PR for access to a secret screening of "Scott Pilgrim." His behavior was so obnoxious that his own peer group (led by Drew McWeeny, Harry Knowles, and Devin Faraci) published an open letter condemning his bullshit.

A few years later, he was the guy at TIFF who called 911 on someone who used their cell phone during a movie.

He may or may not have flown to Turkey on studio dime and then refused to cover the movie unless given one on one interviews.

And then there's tweets like this: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ED-l42zXkAE6-QZ?format=png&name=small

Basically ... he's the millennial version of Jeffrey Welles, but much dumber.

[Ezee E]

I follow him on twitter, but he's so much the same with the rest of filmtwitter that it's hard to distinguish.

[Dukefrukem]

He has "1800" Instagram followers but his pics only get 20 to 30 likes. That screams "I bought all my followers so people think I'm important"

[Yxklyx]

I thought Driving Miss Daisy would be watchable since Morgan Freeman plays a major role. I was wrong.

[Dukefrukem]

I'm watching them all right now in order. Here's my ranking so far.


1.The Mummy 1999 ★★★★½
2.The Mummy Returns 2001 ★★★★
3.Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy 1955 ★★★
4.The Mummy’s Hand 1940 ★★★
5.The Mummy 2017 ★★★
6.The Mummy 1932 ★★½
7.The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor 2008 ★★
8.The Mummy’s Tomb 1942 ★½
9.The Mummy’s Ghost 1944 ★
10.The Mummy’s Curse 1944 ★

Updated so you don't have to watch.

1.The Mummy 1999 ★★★★½
2.The Mummy Returns 2001 ★★★★
3.Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy 1955 ★★★
4.The Mummy’s Hand 1940 ★★★
5. The Mummy 1959 ★★★
6.The Mummy 2017 ★★★
7.The Mummy 1932 ★★½
8.The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb 1964 ★★½
9.The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor 2008 ★★
10.Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb 1971 ★½
11.The Mummy’s Tomb 1942 ★½
12.The Scorpion King 2002 ★½
13.The Mummy’s Ghost 1944 ★
14.The Scorpion King: Rise of a Warrior 2008 ★
15.The Mummy’s Curse 1944 ★
16.The Mummy’s Shroud 1967 ★

[megladon8]

I could’ve sworn they were still making Scorpion King movies.

[Ezee E]

I could’ve sworn they were still making Scorpion King movies.

You believed in it before you saw it.

[MadMan]

Curse of the Mummy's Tomb is a fun Hammer Films Mummy flick.

[Wryan]

Snowpiercer is great for two acts, but I didn't buy the third. Much as I love Ed Harris, they gave him some awfully pedestrian shit to do. The "reveal" at the end was pretty yawn, and I actually kind of giggled at Evans's confession about the dark shit he did. It just...didn't work, really. The earlier stuff, and the privilege progression design of the train cars, is super enjoyable, if hardly incisive anymore. Swinton is typically fun to watch. The terminator henchman was pretty ridiculous.

[Ezee E]

Snowpiercer is great for two acts, but I didn't buy the third. Much as I love Ed Harris, they gave him some awfully pedestrian shit to do. The "reveal" at the end was pretty yawn, and I actually kind of giggled at Evans's confession about the dark shit he did. It just...didn't work, really. The earlier stuff, and the privilege progression design of the train cars, is super enjoyable, if hardly incisive anymore. Swinton is typically fun to watch. The terminator henchman was pretty ridiculous.

Been a bit since I saw it, but I can agree with all of this. But those first two acts sure are awesome.

Probably one of the bigger surprise movies I've ever come across.

[MadMan]

I love Snowpiercer. Great flick.

[dreamdead]

Ended up watching Cuaron's Great Expectations over the weekend, a 1998 film that somehow escaped my Ethan Hawke phase in the early 2000s. It's largely notable now for what it offers anyone interested in adaptation studies, playing out a transformed context from Victorian England to Florida and New York, readerly leisure to painterly leisure, and other small moments. Cuaron and Lebezki craft some pretty images--there's some striking black/white shadowy foreground with color backgrounds, but the film kind of starts to disintegrate in the second hour. The Pip/Finn character is never as interesting as he thinks he is, and Paltrow's object of desire is a bit too shallow to resonate. Ultimately, it's one of those films that works its style because the substance isn't quite there.

Also did Jang Hoon's A Taxi Driver, a Korean film about the Gwangju Uprising of 1980. It embraces many of the melodramatic touches of Korean mainstream cinema, though the subject is such that a lot of the film remains legitimately tense. This one's an odd one because Han Kang's novel Human Acts is so much more layered and dynamic in structure, yet the performances and central narrative remain strong enough to make it valuable anyway. Not a great Korean film, but pretty comparable to the Oscar-bait kind of films, and it made me want to revisit Peppermint Candy to remember how Gwangju events are braided into that film...

[Grouchy]

You know, I remember having almost the exact same thoughts as Wryan regarding the waste of Ed Harris and some pretty goofy moments in Snowpiercer, but so many friends have told me the stuff they love about it that I've sort of gained an appreciation for it. I should watch it again.

[Milky Joe]

Obligatory Snowpiercer post:


https://youtu.be/jEX52h1TvuA

[Irish]

Some kook at Sony is talking about remaking "The Princess Bride"

https://twitter.com/i/events/1174114360312000512

[Idioteque Stalker]

Some kook at Sony is talking about remaking "The Princess Bride"

https://twitter.com/i/events/1174114360312000512

Horrible idea.

[MadMan]

The Saint can be added to my list of 90s action thrillers that gets way too much hate from critics. It's harmless fun and Shue and Kilmer have good chemistry.

[Skitch]

The Saint can be added to my list of 90s action thrillers that gets way too much hate from critics. It's harmless fun and Shue and Kilmer have good chemistry.

I fucking just said the same thing last week!

[Wryan]

I fucking just said the same thing last week!

FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

[Skitch]

FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

No way we're on the same team! I'm just excited I'm not alone! We're gonna fight the haters!

[MadMan]

I fucking just said the same thing last week!

Well I missed it, so sorry. It is a nice throwback to 80s Bond style spy films. Also yes fight the haters!

[MadMan]

My list of said 90s action movies that are hated for silly reasons:

Hard Rain
The Phantom
The Rocketeer
The Saint

Also Duke I will get to The Peacemaker at some point. I didn't forget.

[Skitch]

Well I missed it, so sorry. It is a nice throwback to 80s Bond style spy films. Also yes fight the haters!

It wasnt on MC, I meant I literally spoke that a friend irl.

The Rocketeer is AWESOME, and I just rewatched The Peacemaker last week, still solid.

[Dukefrukem]

My list of said 90s action movies that are hated for silly reasons:

Hard Rain
The Phantom
The Rocketeer
The Saint

Also Duke I will get to The Peacemaker at some point. I didn't forget.

All of those movies are awesome.

[StanleyK]

Guy Maddin:

Tales from the Gimli Hospital - 4
Archangel - 4
Careful - 8.5
Twilight of the Ice Nymphs - 7
Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary - 4
Cowards Bend the Knee - 2.5
The Saddest Music in the World - 8.5
Brand upon the Brain! - 7
My Winnipeg - 5.5
Keyhole - 5.5
The Forbidden Room - 2.5

Odilon Redon - 4
The Heart of the World - 8.5
My Dad is a 100 Years Old - 8.5



Very unique, there's no denying that, but also very inconsistent. When his style clicks, it's hilarious absurdity; when it doesn't, it's annoying and gimmicky.

[megladon8]

My list of said 90s action movies that are hated for silly reasons:

Hard Rain
The Phantom
The Rocketeer
The Saint

Also Duke I will get to The Peacemaker at some point. I didn't forget.

Sorry where’s The Shadow?

Deep Rising?

[Milky Joe]

Well this blows:

https://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2019/09/27/27216769/with-bold-new-plan-regal-and-cinemark-theaters-continue-campaign-to-make-going-to-movies-less-and-less-fun


Via The Hollywood Reporter comes the less-than-welcome news that two of America's biggest corporate theater chains, Regal Cinemas and Cinemark Theaters—which operates the Century Theatres chain in Portland—are switching up how they're showing paid advertisements before movies. Ads at those chains, which previously ran before a film's showtime, will now start at the film's showtime, then be followed by trailers. And even after the trailers have begun, additional advertising will be sandwiched in between trailers.

[baby doll]

I always ask how long the previews are when I buy my ticket so I can slip in just before the actual film starts.

[megladon8]

Ummm...I’ve never seen a movie in a theatre that didn’t play that way.

[Ezee E]

Okay, so no Regal or Cinemark in my future, lol.

[baby doll]

Guy Maddin:


Spicy
Brand upon the Brain! (2006)
The Forbidden Room (2015)
The Green Fog (2017)
The Heart of the World (2000)
My Dad Is 100 Years Old (2005)
My Winnipeg (2007)
Night Mayor (2009)
The Saddest Music in the World (2003)

Warm
Bring Me the Head of Tim Horton (2015)
Cowards Bend the Knee (2002)
Keyhole (2011)
Send Me to the 'lectric Chair (2009)

Mild
Archangel (1990)
Careful (1992)
Sissy-Boy Slap Party (2004)
Tales from the Gimli Hospital (1988)

I need to revisit Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary, which bored me when I saw it in 2003 (but then, so did Ordet). For some reason, I've never been able to get into his earlier, slower films, although I suspect that's my fault more than the films.

[Milky Joe]

Okay, so no Regal or Cinemark in my future, lol.

It sucks because I am doing the Cinemark member thing which drastically cuts the ticket prices and it's my main theater. There are too many fucking previews as it is.

[megladon8]

Is it a Canada / US thing?

Every movie I’ve ever been to in my entire life, the listed start time is actually when the commercials and previews play.

[Skitch]

Ummm...I’ve never seen a movie in a theatre that didn’t play that way.

Yeah wtf are they changing? This sounds like every theater trip since 1997. Isnt it public knowledge that the movie starts 10-30 minutes after the showtime (based on summer blockbusteryness)?

[Skitch]

I ADORED the long string of trailers back in the day. Then we got internet and trailers dropped every day. Now I hate it in theater. Gimme 3, and let's move on, because god knows you got to show me 10 minutes of Coke trailers and "Arent theaters great? You should go to theaters." Ads. Hey fucko, I'm ALREADY FUCKING HERE.

[Ezee E]

Start time is when the previews start. Maybe a coke commercial directed by some high school kid, but that's it.

[Dukefrukem]

I ADORED the long string of trailers back in the day. Then we got internet and trailers dropped every day. Now I hate it in theater. Gimme 3, and let's move on, because god knows you got to show me 10 minutes of Coke trailers and "Arent theaters great? You should go to theaters." Ads. Hey fucko, I'm ALREADY FUCKING HERE.

Remember when people went and bought tickets for other movies just so they could watch the Star Wars Episode One trailer?

[megladon8]

Remember when people went and bought tickets for other movies just so they could watch the Star Wars Episode One trailer?

An old co-worker of mine used to manage a big theatre, and his first day at that job was opening day of Episode 1.

He said in all of his retail experience, all of the Black Fridays and Boxing Days and Christmas Eves he has worked, nothing even came close to the madness he experienced that day.

[Milky Joe]

Start time is when the previews start. Maybe a coke commercial directed by some high school kid, but that's it.

Right. There are ads that run with the lights on in the time just before the start time. Start time is when the lights go down and previews begin. There's usually an ad for the theater chain combined with coca cola at the end of the previews. In total it's 15-20 minutes.

This is saying that now at the start time with the lights on, the ads will begin. Then there will be ads un between the previews. Then at the end of the previews, another long ad. Sounds like it will be 20-30 minutes worth. Sucks big hairy balls.

[megladon8]

Ah, okay. I misunderstood then.

Yes, that is awful.

[Skitch]

Oh were definitely closer 30 minutes around here. If you're saying that's now gonna be the start time for the preshow lights up ads, were going to 45.

At least for summer fare. For lesser pop films and indy stuff it's always shorter because they want your ass out of there.

You know, for an industry so hell bent on keeping things to a certain runtime so they can cram in as many showings per day, they sure must make some bank on ads. But half of them are for the theater you're already sitting in so I dont know who the hell this benefits.

[Irish]

Ads and trailers are why I go during off-peak hours and arrive 20-25 minutes "late." I did this for "The Avengers," "Force Awakens," and "Blade Runner 2049" and it worked out beautifully. Saw those movies with a minimum of fuss and bullshit.

I used to enjoy movie trailers until they started showing 10 or 15 of them, back to back, and half of those repeats of what's already online.

[transmogrifier]

I love the Korean theater experience because 99% of the time, everyone is quiet and it has assigned seating and comfortable theaters everywhere. (and the start time listed on the ticket used to always be the start of the actual movie, but I've noticed that creeping out, so that now a film listed to start at 9:30 will have the ads start at around 9:20 and the movie start playing at 9:35-40).

Except..... how they treat trailers sucks majorly. In the 15 minutes before the movie itself starts, the lights never go down, and about 3 or 4 short shitty versions of trailers (around 30 sec to maybe a minute each if you are lucky) are randomly inserted in between the millions of car and make up ads endorsed by some random KPop or drama star I don't care about.

[Irish]

Recent conversation between Tarantino and Scorsese, 2 of the biggest film nerds around:

https://www.dga.org/Craft/DGAQ/All-Articles/1904-Fall-2019/Conversation-Scorsese-Tarantino.aspx

[MadMan]

Sorry where’s The Shadow?

Deep Rising?The Shadow is ok at best. Deep Rising is...not good imo.

[MadMan]

It's almost impossible to be late for a movie in America these days. Marcus Theatres must get paid a lot by Chevy because those lame Chevy ads appear before the previews even start.

[Grouchy]

Recent conversation between Tarantino and Scorsese, 2 of the biggest film nerds around:

https://www.dga.org/Craft/DGAQ/All-Articles/1904-Fall-2019/Conversation-Scorsese-Tarantino.aspx
Wow, thank you for this. So incredibly awesome, I wonder how it had never happened before.

[Irish]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40zaWc_fsQc


In the annual special event On Cinema, New York Film Festival Director Kent Jones sits down with world-renowned filmmakers for in-depth talks about films from other directors that have influenced them, their discussion illustrated with film clips. In the first of two On Cinema events that the festival is pleased to present this year, Jones talked with Martin Scorsese, known as much for his work as a film historian as for his unparalleled, decades-spanning cinematic career.

Check out a list below of the films discussed:

0:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40zaWc_fsQc&t=0s) - Bait (Hugo Haas)
7:19 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40zaWc_fsQc&t=439s) - Strange Fascination (Hugo Haas)
16:43 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40zaWc_fsQc&t=1003s) - Hereditary (Ari Aster)
25:14 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40zaWc_fsQc&t=1514s) - Archipelago (Joanna Hogg)

I heard Aster was in the audience for this and didn't realize Scorsese was gonna talk about "Hereditary." Can you imagine?

[Grouchy]

I heard Aster was in the audience for this and didn't realize Scorsese was gonna talk about "Hereditary." Can you imagine?
My head would fucking explode. I'd probably cry.

Didn't Aster have a friend who posted here? Can't remember who it was, but maybe he can ask him.

[Dukefrukem]

That was cool listening to the Hereditary part.

[TGM]

My head would fucking explode. I'd probably cry.

Didn't Aster have a friend who posted here? Can't remember who it was, but maybe he can ask him.

Pretty sure it’s Pop Trash.

Edit: Yup - http://matchcut.artboiled.com/showthread.php?7176-Hereditary-(Ari-Aster)&p=591352&viewfull=1#post591352

[Irish]

Martin Scorsese, when asked about the MCU in the latest issue of Empire magazine:


I don’t see them. I tried, you know? But that’s not cinema. Honestly, the closest I can think of them, as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks. It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.

Cue 10,000 nerds on social media closely parsing what Scorsese meant by "cinema," exactly.

[baby doll]

Martin Scorsese, when asked about the MCU in the latest issue of Empire magazine:

Cue 10,000 nerds on social media closely parsing what Scorsese meant by "cinema," exactly.DC comic book movies, obviously.

[Irish]

Martin Scorsese is one of my 5 favorite living filmmakers. I was outraged when people picketed The Last Temptation of Christ without having seen the film. I’m saddened that he’s now judging my films in the same way.

https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1180158383070105606

oh this just keeps getting better and better lol

[Wryan]

RANK THE MCU BY CINEMA-NESS, MATCH-CUT.

NOW.

[Irish]

When Scott and I were making DOCTOR STRANGE, the vast majority of Marvel's notes were about deepening character, strengthening the story, and asking us if we could "make it weirder."

Anyone who thinks Marvel is only trying to make theme park rides is being unjust and cynical.

Mark Twain once said of Jane Austen "Everytime I read ‘Pride and Prejudice’ I want to dig her up and beat her over the skull with her own shin-bone.”

Sometimes even the greatest artists can talk shit about work as immortal as their own. They're allowed to be wrong.

https://twitter.com/Massawyrm/status/1180160556608700418

https://twitter.com/Massawyrm/status/1179969631152480256

The guy who wrote "Doctor Strange" subtweeted Martin Scorsese. :D :D :D

(Emphasis mine)

[Skitch]

DC comic book movies, obviously.

ffs what?

[transmogrifier]

Ha, poor beatdown MCU employees. Must be tough having someone not like what you sell.

[Skitch]

Marty can think whatever he wants. Just make mob movies please, I'm not interested in his analysis of other films.

[transmogrifier]

https://twitter.com/Massawyrm/status/1180160556608700418



Pity they didn't listen to the notes then. That thing is boring.

[Skitch]

Also I havent seen this take, but isnt kind of a bad look to be criticizing other films when you're sorta in the process of promoting your (mostly) DTV film?

[Irish]

"What do you think of the MCU?" is the gotcha question for anyone in the industry over 40.

(Cf: Ethan Hawke stirring up shit months ago when asked, more or less, the same question, and giving a similarly reasonable answer.)

[baby doll]

ffs what?Well, he did sign on to produce Joker.

[Irish]

Next week: the 300 word follow up when someone from the trades asks Scorsese if he knows about the "blowback," reprinted across 500 comic book movie sites.

[MadMan]

I don't care what Marty said. It's his opinion, he has a right to it, I like comic book movies, yey for obvious click bait that everyone fell for, excuse me I'm too busy viewing horror movies this month.

[Irish]

Ha, poor beatdown MCU employees. Must be tough having someone not like what you sell.

It's worse than that.

For years guys like Derrickson and Cargill have had shills and fanboys blowing smoke about Marvel films, and here comes somebody with an impeccable professional pedigree who basically says, nope, you're all just a buncha popcorn salesmen.

(Personally, I've been cackling like a lunatic all afternoon.)

[Dukefrukem]

RANK THE MCU BY CINEMA-NESS, MATCH-CUT.

NOW.

Did it play in a cinema?

[Dukefrukem]

I dont care about any of this.

[megladon8]

The thing is, I don’t see what Scorsese said as being necessarily a “these movies are bad” statement.

He’s just saying it’s not what he’s into, no?

[Milky Joe]

He specifically said "that's not cinema," which is probably what most people are going nuts over.

[Skitch]

I dont care about any of this.

Not one bit.

[Skitch]

The thing is, I don’t see what Scorsese said as being necessarily a “these movies are bad” statement.

He’s just saying it’s not what he’s into, no?

I take it that way, but even if it's not that at all and hes completely blasting MCU...I still would care as much about his opinion as I would Uwe Boll.

[Irish]

He specifically said "that's not cinema," which is probably what most people are going nuts over.

Also "that's a theme park ride."

[Grouchy]

I take it that way, but even if it's not that at all and hes completely blasting MCU...I still would care as much about his opinion as I would Uwe Boll.
Eh, nah, I actually care a lot what Scorsese has to say about any movie. But him equating MCU films with roller coaster rides is a perfect comparison and doesn't bother me at all. He also says they are well made and that the actors all do a tremendous effort emoting in front of tennis balls and green screens.

Honestly, what's there to get upset about? I get that James Gunn is sad because he's the closest thing to an auteur currently working in the MCU, but... come on.

[Dukefrukem]

Joss Whedon responded too.

[Skitch]

Eh, nah, I actually care a lot what Scorsese has to say about any movie.

After his top 100 must see movies list or whatever, I just don't care. He and I don't share much taste in film. Which is fine! Its like one of your friends raving about a thai restaurant when you don't much care for thai.


But him equating MCU films with roller coaster rides is a perfect comparison and doesn't bother me at all. He also says they are well made and that the actors all do a tremendous effort emoting in front of tennis balls and green screens.

Honestly, what's there to get upset about?
Totally agree.

[Peng]

you don't much care for thai.

:mad: :p

[PURPLE]

Scorsese isn’t exactly a titan of cinema for me. Wolf of Wall Street IS hilarious, though. Clearly his pinnacle, but is that not CINEMA to him? Good! Throw his “cinema” in the trash. Give me the good stuff.

Oh, but most Marvel films are trash, too. I just don’t get why he thinks he’s better?

If cinema is really about real people and emotions, then why all the gangster movies and psychopaths? Scorsese talks like he’s Ozu. What a confused person. Oh, and he probably doesn’f think Bresson is cinema, because Bresson doesn’t care about emoting?

NEXT!

[Skitch]

:mad: :p
That was just an example, not my personal taste! I love everything.

[Grouchy]

Scorsese isn’t exactly a titan of cinema for me. Wolf of Wall Street IS hilarious, though. Clearly his pinnacle, but is that not CINEMA to him? Good! Throw his “cinema” in the trash. Give me the good stuff.

Oh, but most Marvel films are trash, too. I just don’t get why he thinks he’s better?

If cinema is really about real people and emotions, then why all the gangster movies and psychopaths? Scorsese talks like he’s Ozu. What a confused person. Oh, and he probably doesn’f think Bresson is cinema, because Bresson doesn’t care about emoting?

NEXT!
Eh... Troll alert, I guess? If that's your real opinion, I'm genuinely sorry.

I chuckle a bit that I think Gunn and Whedon just embraced the chance to address Marty in virtual conversation.