28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[megladon8]

I'd love to hang out with Keanu Reeves.

[Henry Gale]

Keanu often does stuff during press rounds that make me wish he was as consistently awesome in his movies as he is in life. It may help that this time he was talking about Bill & Ted and doing that amazing Herzog impression though.

[Rowland]

Hmm, going to see either Life During Wartime or Animal Kingdom tomorrow. I know which one has been better received, but still...

[StanleyK]

I disagree. The monologue in Man Escaped, especially his thoughts on whether to kill Jost or take him, is essential to the film.

His narration is just relaying information we're already processing visually. He doesn't reveal anything about himself through it, or even have any Malick-like philosophical musings; he's really just telling us what we see him doing. I find it superfluous and irritating.

Dude just ignore the racism.

I can't think of anything positive about it. Trite story, shit songs, nonsensical 10-minute drunken scene, just completely unengaging. By that point the racist-caricature crows aren't even close to being the worst thing about it.

[MadMan]

I'd love to hang out with Keanu Reeves.

So would I. I'd tell him that he was awesome in A Scanner Darkly and Point Break.

[EyesWideOpen]

So would I. I'd tell him that he was awesome in A Scanner Darkly and Point Break.

As someone who just recently watched Point Break I can tell you that last part is most definitely not true. I like Reeves but that is top five worst performance worthy.

[Skitch]

As someone who just recently watched Point Break I can tell you that last part is most definitely not true. I like Reeves but that is top five worst performance worthy.

That seems a tad extreme.

[MadMan]

As someone who just recently watched Point Break I can tell you that last part is most definitely not true. I like Reeves but that is top five worst performance worthy.

Nah, its not that bad. I stand by my statement.

AMC showing the Mad Max movies this week is awesome. If I have time I'll try and catch the third movie-its due for a re-watch. Seeing the first two again after viewing both this year is cool-I think that the second one is my favorite.

[Derek]

That seems a tad extreme.

Mostly because Keanu Reeves gives almost the same exact performance in every film he's ever been in, aside from the Bill & Ted and Parenthood where he plays a stoned version of himself.

But we are all mostly in agreement that Keanu Reeves is, for the most part, just plain awful, right?

[MadMan]

Just like I'm a die hard fan of Kevin Costner, I'm a fan of Keanu Reeves. I don't get the hate. The guy's not a bad actor. And I disagree that he's done the same performance in every movie-his performance in A Scanner Darkly is quite different from say, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Guess I'm alone in thinking so :| :P

[Derek]

AMC showing the Mad Max movies this week is awesome.

Are they still showing most of their movies in pan-and-scan? Mad Men and Breaking Bad are the only reasons I still watch the station.

[MadMan]

Are they still showing most of their movies in pan-and-scan? Mad Men and Breaking Bad are the only reasons I still watch the station.

Yeah, but I've already seen the movies previously on Netflix Instant Viewing. I think the last movie I saw on AMC that was a first time viewing dates back to Fear Fest-it was probably The Dark Half.

[Qrazy]

Are they still showing most of their movies in pan-and-scan? Mad Men and Breaking Bad are the only reasons I still watch the station.

Given the fact that so many people have widescreen televisions these days why in god's name are stations still doing that?

[MadMan]

Pretty sure its out of laziness/they're being cheap. Why else does AMC show the old crappy copy of The Shootist when TCM has the updated, much clearer, remastered version? You'd think with all the money they get from commercials they'd be able to go from pan and scan to wide screen.

[Winston*]

But we are all mostly in agreement that Keanu Reeves is, for the most part, just plain awful, right?

I like him. He's like Mark Wahlberg: not a very good actor, but a certain inscrutable screen presence.

Went to see two anime movies. Summer Wars was really good. King of Thorn was pretty rubbish.

[Ivan Drago]

Reeves' best performance is in A Scanner Darkly.

[Sven]

[Qrazy]

I like him. He's like Mark Wahlberg: not a very good actor, but a certain inscrutable screen presence.

Went to see two anime movies. Summer Wars was really good. King of Thorn was pretty rubbish.

Rats, was hoping for good things.

[Philosophe_rouge]

I know some people who saw King of Thorn at Fantasia, said it was inarguably one of the worst films of the festival. I saw Summer Wars, and it was delightful. One of my favourites of the year.

[Derek]

I like him. He's like Mark Wahlberg: not a very good actor, but a certain inscrutable screen presence.

Wahlberg has given some awful performances, but he's also given a few excellent ones as well. Reeves has a much more limited range and no matter how good the material is, he's never been the highlight of any particular film.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Wahlberg has given some awful performances, but he's also given a few excellent ones as well. Reeves has a much more limited range and no matter how good the material is, he's never been the highlight of any particular film.

We need to isolate the variables!

[Derek]

We need to isolate the variables!

[Spaceman Spiff]

In all seriousness, I really do love that movie. One of the best comedies of the past decade.

[Bosco B Thug]

We need to isolate the variables!

That's commitment you see, people.

Soo, whoa. Empire of the Sun is top 5 Spielberg. Best film of his in the past 25 years. Spielberg's regal, unequivocal visualizations and fantastic adventure tropes are finally in service of knowing irony and hauntingly equivocal life lessons in Stoppard's paradoxical litany to born winners in war-time. Bale is good.

Glad to see this get some high marks in the Spielberg Concensus thread.

[Bosco B Thug]

Top 10 Spielberg according to Match Cut:

Schindler’s List – 8.8571 (28)
Jaws - 8.8167 (30)
Raiders of the Lost Ark – 8.7353 (34)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind - 8.1458 (24)
E.T. - 8.1296 (27)
Empire of the Sun – 7.9211 (19)
Sugarland Express – 7.75 (6)
Saving Private Ryan – 7.7222 (27)
AI: Artificial Intelligence – 7.7121 (33)
Munich – 7.7115 (26)

#6, pretty good. I think I still prefer Raiders and Jaws? Still need to see Schindler's, Close Encounters, Sugarland, and Saving Private Ryan.