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Thread: 28 Film Discussion Threads Later

  1. #57651
    Too much responsibility Kurosawa Fan's Avatar
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    Oh, man. I loved The Naked City. I'd just about put it on par with Rififi, as far as Dassin is concerned, something I didn't think was possible.

  2. #57652
    The Pan Qrazy's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Kurosawa Fan (view post)
    Oh, man. I loved The Naked City. I'd just about put it on par with Rififi, as far as Dassin is concerned, something I didn't think was possible.
    Really? Not that big a fan. Night and the City on the other hand. God. Damn.
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  3. #57653
    Too much responsibility Kurosawa Fan's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Qrazy (view post)
    Really? Not that big a fan. Night and the City on the other hand. God. Damn.
    Loved the way it captured New York, loved the matter-of-fact way it handled the police investigation, loved the bits of humor, and the way the mystery played out. Loved just about everything about it. Only thing that lacked was a few of the performances and Don Taylor's uncanny resemblance to Luke Wilson.

  4. #57654
    Montage, s'il vous plait? Raiders's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Kurosawa Fan (view post)
    Oh, man. I loved The Naked City. I'd just about put it on par with Rififi, as far as Dassin is concerned, something I didn't think was possible.
    Ehhh, seriously? I found it quite mediocre outside its location shots. Just kind of trodded along and the narration was terrible.

    Night and the City is soooo much better.

    EDIT: I see Qrazy beat me to it.
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  5. #57655
    Too much responsibility Kurosawa Fan's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Raiders (view post)
    Ehhh, seriously? I found it quite mediocre outside its location shots. Just kind of trodded along and the narration was terrible.

    Night and the City is soooo much better.

    EDIT: I see Qrazy beat me to it.
    At the start, I found the narration off-putting, but as the movie played along, I thought it integrated nicely with the style Dassin created.

  6. #57656
    Here till the end MadMan's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Kurosawa Fan (view post)
    Oh, man. I loved The Naked City. I'd just about put it on par with Rififi, as far as Dassin is concerned, something I didn't think was possible.
    I liked that one a lot, and its still the only Dassin I've viewed. They need to put more of his movies on Netflix Instant Viewing-I only saw The Naked City thanks to TCM. The characters may be a bit sketchy, but that's par for the course when it comes to most film noirs. I love the documentary style film making employed for The Naked City, the shots of the skyline, and the fact that its a pretty good exercise in suspense.
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  7. #57657
    Crying Enthusiast Sven's Avatar
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    X Men First Class's professional appearance was a half step above the rest of these superhero movies, but the film is a serious step down from what I would call "decent". Most puzzling of all was trying to figure out why it exists at all, beyond the obvious cash-in. But the few competently executed visuals do not dismiss the amount of botched, bloated material here.

    Speaking of bloated, I cannot fathom why the above movie gets a free pass while Superman Returns, which I also recently watched, is all but annihilated. It is excellent throughout, Singer mounting with only occasional mild missteps a quality visual spectacle. Wince-free performances and its even clip keep the admittedly overlong run-time from feeling like a chore. Not perfect, as I think the film's crux amounts to hero worship, but definitely above par.

    Speaking of above par, I ALSO watched the original Punisher film. It is the only one of these comic book movies so far to satisfyingly address the topic of innocent deaths. These movies are obsessed with crowd kill sequences, the characters cavalierly shrugging off the tragic aftermath of hundreds of people dying all the time. Oddly, this one, of all I've seen so far, has the most humane outlook. Lundgren is ghastly in it, giving Castle a spectral presence. The movie's frequent tracking shots through the sewers reinforces the film's plunge into the darker recesses of Castle's derangement. Some of the action bits are weak, but some are not.

  8. #57658
    U ZU MA KI Spun Lepton's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Sven (view post)
    X Men First Class's professional appearance was a half step above the rest of these superhero movies, but the film is a serious step down from what I would call "decent". Most puzzling of all was trying to figure out why it exists at all, beyond the obvious cash-in. But the few competently executed visuals do not dismiss the amount of botched, bloated material here

    Speaking of bloated, I cannot fathom why the above movie gets a free pass while Superman Returns, which I also recently watched, is all but annihilated. It is excellent throughout, Singer mounting with only occasional mild missteps a quality visual spectacle. Wince-free performances and its even clip keep the admittedly overlong run-time from feeling like a chore. Not perfect, as I think the film's crux amounts to hero worship, but definitely above par.
    Fast-paced, efficient, a few bad ideas = bloated
    Languid, emo, boring, numerous bad ideas = excellent

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  9. #57659
    Moderator Dead & Messed Up's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Sven (view post)
    X Men First Class's professional appearance was a half step above the rest of these superhero movies, but the film is a serious step down from what I would call "decent". Most puzzling of all was trying to figure out why it exists at all, beyond the obvious cash-in. But the few competently executed visuals do not dismiss the amount of botched, bloated material here.

    Speaking of bloated, I cannot fathom why the above movie gets a free pass while Superman Returns, which I also recently watched, is all but annihilated. It is excellent throughout, Singer mounting with only occasional mild missteps a quality visual spectacle. Wince-free performances and its even clip keep the admittedly overlong run-time from feeling like a chore. Not perfect, as I think the film's crux amounts to hero worship, but definitely above par.
    My memory is that most here agree that the film is a lovely visual treat. And so it is. I grew frustrated with the film's pat portrayal of Superman and refusal to engage the ideas he presents, instead trafficking in what you admit is mostly "hero worship." Sometimes this works - I love the mystique and development of the shuttle crash. But most times the film feels dumb. One of the weirder ideas in recent genre film is giving Lois Lane a Pulitzer-worthy lambasting of Superman's utility...and never giving the audience any of idea of what she said. Rest assured, it was Pulitzer-worthy stuff.

    Film is beautiful though. Not about to argue that point. Would that more superhero films were produced with such aesthetic care.

  10. #57660
    Kung Fu Hippie Watashi's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Sven (view post)
    X Men First Class's professional appearance was a half step above the rest of these superhero movies, but the film is a serious step down from what I would call "decent". Most puzzling of all was trying to figure out why it exists at all, beyond the obvious cash-in. But the few competently executed visuals do not dismiss the amount of botched, bloated material here.

    Speaking of bloated, I cannot fathom why the above movie gets a free pass while Superman Returns, which I also recently watched, is all but annihilated. It is excellent throughout, Singer mounting with only occasional mild missteps a quality visual spectacle. Wince-free performances and its even clip keep the admittedly overlong run-time from feeling like a chore. Not perfect, as I think the film's crux amounts to hero worship, but definitely above par.

    Speaking of above par, I ALSO watched the original Punisher film. It is the only one of these comic book movies so far to satisfyingly address the topic of innocent deaths. These movies are obsessed with crowd kill sequences, the characters cavalierly shrugging off the tragic aftermath of hundreds of people dying all the time. Oddly, this one, of all I've seen so far, has the most humane outlook. Lundgren is ghastly in it, giving Castle a spectral presence. The movie's frequent tracking shots through the sewers reinforces the film's plunge into the darker recesses of Castle's derangement. Some of the action bits are weak, but some are not.
    Now this post makes sense.

    Superman Returns is such a beautifully told film. Too bad we'll never get another superhero film like it.
    Sure why not?

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  11. #57661
    Crying Enthusiast Sven's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Dead & Messed Up (view post)
    I think it's an issue of interest. My memory is that most here agree that the film is a lovely visual treat. And so it is.
    Maybe my emphasis on this part is too heavy. It's just such a relief to watch a superhero movie made by people that actually care how to make a movie look good.

    I grew frustrated with the film's pat portrayal of Superman and refusal to engage the ideas he presents, instead trafficking in what you admit is mostly "hero worship." Sometimes this works - I love the mystique and development of the shuttle crash. But most times the film feels dumb. One of the weirder ideas in recent genre film is giving Lois Lane a Pulitzer-worthy lambasting of Superman's utility...and never giving the audience any of idea of what she said. Rest assured, it was Pulitzer-worthy stuff.
    You're right on all counts. It was effective shorthand of the overarching emotional journey of the character, but in a movie as long as it is, you'd at least get a sense of what the article contained. Seems like she just has abandonment issues.

  12. #57662
    Crying Enthusiast Sven's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Spun Lepton (view post)
    Fast-paced, efficient, a few bad ideas = bloated
    Is there any reason why any of the characters were even around? All the time spent on back stories to characters that just ran around, affecting nothing. Hardly efficient.

  13. #57663
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    Superman Returns > X-Men: First Class

    And I enjoyed First Class quite a bit.

    Superman Returns was the perfect companion piece to the original two Reeve films, and one of the few instances where I felt that the sequel's happening 20+ years later was actually used to some effect (though in the universe of the film it was only a few years that had passed).

    A beautiful, elegant film. Amazing score, too. One of the best of the decade.
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  14. #57664
    U ZU MA KI Spun Lepton's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting megladon8 (view post)
    Superman Returns > X-Men: First Class
    Whatever. You're biased.

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  15. #57665
    The Pan Scar's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Spun Lepton (view post)
    Whatever. You're biased.

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    I'm going to have to side w/ Meg on this one. There's a soft squishy spot in my heart for Superman Returns.
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  16. #57666
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    Quote Quoting Scar (view post)
    I'm going to have to side w/ Meg on this one. There's a soft squishy spot in my heart for Superman Returns.
    Biased.
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  17. #57667
    Quote Quoting Watashi (view post)
    Superman Returns is such a beautifully told film. Too bad we'll never get another superhero film like it.
    Thank God.
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  18. #57668
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    Quote Quoting transmogrifier (view post)
    Thank God.
    You know you anticipate every comic book movie release.
    Sure why not?

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  19. #57669
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    Watched La Promesse again. Man, the Dardenne brothers are good. They certainly never took the easy way out. It would have been easy in this story to make the mother a saintly figure and the boy a scrappy hero slave to an over-the-top evil father. Instead, Igor is a petty thief and Assita a belligerent bitch; and still, in a harsh world populated with unlikeable people, where it would have been easy to descend into nihilism, they manage to make this an optimistic tale of redemption, while never ringing false or sappy, and building towards a quietly devastating finale. I think this is my favorite of theirs outside of The Son now. Must rewatch Rosetta.

  20. #57670
    U ZU MA KI Spun Lepton's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Sven (view post)
    Is there any reason why any of the characters were even around? All the time spent on back stories to characters that just ran around, affecting nothing. Hardly efficient.
    It's an origin story. The movie is ultimately about Prof X and Magneto.
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  21. #57671
    Crying Enthusiast Sven's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Spun Lepton (view post)
    The movie is ultimately about Prof X and Magneto.
    ...and Banshee and Havoc and Angel and Beast and Emma Frost and Mystique, all of whom have too much screen time and contribute nothing to the film's elusive heft. They are in there because training sequences are an easy way to pad superhero movies. Nothing that happens to any of them is of any consequence.

  22. #57672
    Administrator Ezee E's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Sven (view post)
    ...and Banshee and Havoc and Angel and Beast and Emma Frost and Mystique, all of whom have too much screen time and contribute nothing to the film's elusive heft. They are in there because training sequences are an easy way to pad superhero movies. Nothing that happens to any of them is of any consequence.
    Pretty sure Mystique has some actions that are important, but you are correct in the others.

    Man, that Magneto solo movie would've been great though.

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  23. #57673
    Here till the end MadMan's Avatar
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    I think that both X-Men First Class and Superman Returns are good movies. I much prefer X-Men First Class, however-and it was mostly due to the really good to great cast that movie had. SR's cast was pretty good, too, though. I just wish they had shortened both movies to be honest, although SR's was either longer or it just felt longer.
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  24. #57674
    A Bonerfied Classic Derek's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Sven (view post)
    ...and Banshee and Havoc and Angel and Beast and Emma Frost and Mystique, all of whom have too much screen time and contribute nothing to the film's elusive heft. They are in there because training sequences are an easy way to pad superhero movies. Nothing that happens to any of them is of any consequence.
    Yeah, half the film is spent watching dumb teenagers showing off and exploring their new powers with little consequence to the actual film. Also, Jennifer Lawrence was just awful. Please tell me I'm not alone in noticing this.

    Quote Quoting Ezee E (view post)
    Man, that Magneto solo movie would've been great though.
    People were thinking that about a solo Wolverine movie and look how that turned out.

    Hint: [
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  25. #57675
    Here till the end MadMan's Avatar
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    I thought Jennifer Lawrence was just fine in that movie, but now that I think about it they really didn't give her much to do. Might has well have just called the movie "Magnento and Xavier." With Kevin Bacon thrown in, wahoo.
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