Barty's Thread of Movies and Various Other Things Not Related to Politics and Fascism

[Barty]

Content soon.

[D_Davis]

Will this be an open thread where topics can be discussed freely, or will you be controlling the thread's message with the iron fist of a tyrannical fascist socialist capitalist dictator?

[Barty]

Will this be an open thread where topics can be discussed freely, or will you be controlling the thread's message with the iron fist of a tyrannical fascist socialist capitalist dictator?

I would prefer we discuss the topics that naturally transpire from reviews, and, or opinions I give of the film industry. However, feel free to talk about whatever you want. :pritch:

[Spaceman Spiff]

What's the point of this thread exactly? Don't we already have a film discussion? Or is this a thread where you review movies and moderate discussions and stuff? I think you should just make separate threads for separate ideas. It'll be easier to find stuff that way, and will encourage discussion more (I think).

[Winston*]

What's the point of this thread exactly?

To assert that he hasn't become an irredeemably boring human being. We should support this thread, Spaceman Spiff, not question it.

[D_Davis]

I would prefer we discuss the topics that naturally transpire from reviews, and, or opinions I give of the film industry. However, feel free to talk about whatever you want. :pritch:

Typical.

:P

[Sycophant]

Barty's Thread of Movies and Various Other Things Not Related to Politics and Fascism Except Insomuch as Politics and Fascism Pertain to Movies and Those Various Other Things

Fixed?

[Barty]

Star Trek: OST - Michael Giacchino - A Review

http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=tbn&q=http://www.wilddamntexan.com/kids/star_trek_giacchino.jpg&usg=AFQjCNEtHUfN8mdU4iGDsjOiNA TWmRS8Wg

For all the faults and flaws of the Star Trek films there has been always a consistent bright spot and that is the original score compositions from a wide variety of composers. Goldsmith, Horner, Rosenman, Eidelman, McCarthy, and now Giacchino have all contributed to musical soundscape that makes up Star Trek.

Certain composers have been more successful, but each one has brought a nice flavor and freshness to the music. Giacchino follows in this same mold, but perhaps departing the most from the precedent of his predecessors. Giacchino does not use Goldsmiths influential theme for the Enterprise, and barely uses Courage's theme to any regard, at least on the album.

Perhaps taking a cue from David Arnold, who's recent Bond scores have barely used the Bond Theme, Giacchino has reasoned that the Star Trek crew has not yet "earned" the Courage theme, and thus it's development is merely hinted at and never explored during the movie itself. Now, I have not seen the film, and the OST is rather short which makes it difficult to see what was left off the album, but based on the album the only full statement of the Alexander Courage Fanfare is during the End Credits.

This is a strength, and a weakness. It certainly is the most far removed score from the series, having little thematic similarities, and thus can't quite live up to the impressive statements that Goldsmith could orchestrate with his theme. However, Giacchino has composed a new theme which has extreme similarities between the sound of the previous 10 Star Trek films. The theme is simple, catchy, but has much less grandeur associated with it than anything Horner or Goldsmith came up with. It, in it's effect, sounds like a Graduation March. A theme that can eventually be orchestrated as either a counterpoint or evolved into one of the well established Star Trek themes of Courage or Goldsmith. The theme builds, but never resolves, because naturally our characters are just being born.

Most of the score is rather short action cues, that aren't terribly impressive. Whether that's a fault of the cutting of the album, I do not know. However, there's a couple of cues such as "Enterprising Young Man", "Nero Death Experience" & "That New Cat Smell" which are filled with absolutely wonderful incidental music combined with heroic statements and orchestrations of Giacchino's new theme. As the album, and presumably the movie, progress the music becomes much more flavorful and defined, perhaps paralleling the coming together of the crew of the Enterprise.

One silly criticism though, as ETM pointed out, lay off the funny titles Giacchino.

4/5

[Barty]

Fixed?

That thread titles was too long.

[D_Davis]

Do you like original non-symphonic scores, Barty?

Ever listen to tomandandy's work, specifically their scores for Mean Creak and The Mothman Prophecies?

They are amazing. I believe tomandandy are the best in the biz right now; they are definitely injecting some much need life into the tired practice of symphonic scores.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Do you like original non-symphonic scores, Barty?

Ever listen to tomandandy's work, specifically their scores for Mean Creak and The Mothman Prophecies?

They are amazing. I believe tomandandy are the best in the biz right now; they are definitely injecting some much need life into the tired practice of symphonic scores.

I'm tempted to listen to them, just so you'll shaddup about it.

;)

Seriously though, where should I start with them?

[D_Davis]

I'm tempted to listen to them, just so you'll shaddup about it.

;)

Seriously though, where should I start with them?

You should listen to them because their music is awesome.

;)

I'd probably check out the stuff they did for Mean Creek. It's absolutely gorgeous.

[MadMan]

After a year, I completely forgot that Barty even discusses anything other than politics :P

[Derek]

After a year, I completely forgot that Barty even discusses anything other than politics :P

Barty is on a strict diet of liberty and symphonic scores.

[Ezee E]

After a year, I completely forgot that Barty even discusses anything other than politics :P
You didn't forget a thing.

[Spinal]

Well, gosh, this thread doesn't get nearly as much action as Barty's politics and fascism thread. So sad.

[Ezee E]

Well, gosh, this thread doesn't get nearly as much action as Barty's politics and fascism thread. So sad.
Well, since all we got is the Star Trek OST, I'm not surprised.

[Barty]

I am going to post a review of Star Trek soon.

[Spinal]

I am going to post a review of Star Trek soon.

Yay! :)

[Barty]

Star Trek (2009) - J.J. Abrams - Spoilers

http://media.entertainment.sky.com/image/unscaled/2008/11/18/Star-Trek-Trailer-Image-28.jpg

Star Trek is perhaps the most astounding blockbuster I've seen in a while. Astounding, not in the quality of the film, but in it's reception and wildly successful opening weekend. This is not to say I did not enjoy the film, far from it. It is quite good, highly entertaining, but, for good or bad, it's also highly accessible. This is due to the fact that Abrams has, as some reviews have pointed out, Star Wars-ized Star Trek.

Did this new take and style work? Yes, a 70+ million dollar opening for a prequel to a dead franchise must be measured as a huge success. But, to this Star Trek fan, there are issues that must be addressed.

The plot to this film is rather unimportant to me, because Star Trek has always been about social commentary and character interaction, a good story is just a bonus. The plot certainly is a grand scheme, but serves mainly to thrust our young characters into new and exciting situations that allow for a wide range of visceral battles, emotional conflicts, and some good humor.

The opening sequence to the film is really quite ingenious in the way it will draw each individual with different tastes into the picture. The Star Trek fan will marvel at the new visuals and the birth of their favorite Captain, the teens will be excited by the space battle and explosions, and the females in the audience (as well as the highly emotional trekkies) will be touched by the sacrifice of Kirk's Father to save his wife and newborn son.

I tend to think of Abrams as mediocre most of the time, but every now and then he shoots a truly dynamic sequence, and such is the case where we watch George Kirk slowly pilot the Kelvin into the Romulan ship while Giacchino's breathtaking music plays in the background.

Abrams thankfully understands the central dynamic of the original Star Trek has always been the relationship between Spock and Kirk. Quinto and Pine give very good performances, a little rough around the edges, but both have some fantastic scenes. Quinto conveys a little too much girlish emotion in some of his scenes, but perhaps that is the point

Pine is very cocky and arrogant, a little too much so for my taste though. Shattner always had a more subtle way he expressed his Captain's larger than life personality, but at this point in Star Trek, I'll take it that Kirk is a little more unrefined.

The highlight performance is Karl Urban as McCoy, who nails his looks and cadence perfectly. There were a few times I swore DeForrest Kelley was speaking. While many of the actors indicated mimicry was out of the question, if they could have been as successful as Urban I would have been all for it. It's also highly illogical that the writers of Transformers could write such funny scenes for McCoy, but when a prequel to Star Trek has a 95% on the tomatometer, something weird is already going on.

The only actors I have issues with are Bana, Yelchin, and Pegg. Bana plays a terribly boring character, with no personality, so his performance comes off as awkward and certainly not scary as they were going for. Yelchin's accent is absolutely atrocious. He sounds nothing like Chekov, more like a parody of parody, and his character is unfortunately written like a retarded Wesley Crusher.

Pegg will do great things for the role of Scotty when he is actually written correctly. In this variation, he comes off as a drunken Scottish sailor instead of the sarcastic and witty Engineer that Doohan crafted. And what in the name of a tribble is with his sidekick?

The picture is light on Star Trek's famous social commentary, though I still hold to the fact that this is a reflection of the Holocaust mixed with some Roman history circa 70AD. It does however nicely portray Federation society as less than perfect, prone to conflict and flights, and not the perfect Utopia the Star Trek universe is sometimes viewed as. The most successful Star Trek films, especially Nicholas Meyer's contributions, showed characters to be violent, racist, selfish and arrogant. Abrams shows an Earth not far removed from our own, which nicely allows the audience to connect better.

Visually the movie is unmatched in the Star Trek canon. The space battles and the rendering of the immense freedom and scale of space have never been portrayed so effectively. Unfortunately, Abrams is too prone to following the action through a series of camera moves and zooms. I miss the naval battle of the old films, where the action was in full view and the tactical aspects well defined rather than simply a case of firing all phasers and torpedoes at once.

Other notable things I liked were Ben Cross' respectful and intelligent performance as Sarek, Spock's Father. Greenwood's peformance as Captain Pike. And finally, Leonard Nimoy's presence is simply awesome. His scene near the end of the film with Quinto is great, as no matter how much you view Spock as an emotionless, logical being, he still comes off as the most human and warm character you've met in the Star Trek universe.

4/5

[BuffaloWilder]

As far as the lack of social commentary goes, this seemed to be striving more toward a singular character piece, with a few under-currents. This isn't unheard of, as far as the films go, and we've got plenty of time to allow the series to grow into its allegorical cast-marks, I think.

[Dukefrukem]

I like Barty's threads

[Watashi]

Moar.

[Barty]

I think I will write a new movie review.

[Watashi]

I think I will write a new movie review.
:pritch:

[megladon8]

That's a wonderful review, Barty.

I felt similarly very happy-yet-conflicted with the movie. I loved it, for sure...but it did abandon a few aspects of the franchise which I felt were very important to its success. Your comments about social commentary being completely absent are right on the mark.

However, it was a stellar blockbuster sci-fi/action film. I haven't had that much genuine fun with a movie in quite a while.

And the casting was perfect, in my opinion. Every character was cast so wonderfully. They really felt like the characters of the old show, even if some of the show's soul was missing.

[MadMan]

I like this thread more than his other threads.

[Spinal]

I think I will write a new movie review.

He's bluffing.

[Barty]

He's bluffing.

Probably a review on The Expendables, especially touching on Stallone's critique US foreign policy and his pro-feminism.