28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[Skitch]

Lol pwned

LOL you're just mad you were #13

[StuSmallz]

Films of people talking aren't inherently less "cinematic" than films consisting mainly of physical action; there are lots of ways to film people talking, some more dynamic than others. His Girl Friday is one of the talkiest films ever made but Hawks keeps his actors in constant motion

You mean like exactly what Jackson had the actors do in Return Of The King when Gandalf was taking Pippin away, or when Aragon, Legolas, and Gimli were travelling to The Paths Of The Dead, or in the "bring wood & oil" scene with Denethor...?

[baby doll]

You mean like exactly what Jackson had the actors do in Return Of The King when Gandalf was taking Pippin away, or when Aragon, Legolas, and Gimli were travelling to The Paths Of The Dead, or in the "bring wood & oil" scene

Not having seen any of The Lord of the Rings films since 2003, I don't remember the specific scenes you're referring to, but I still feel confident in asserting that Hawks mise en scène is more dynamic and purposeful than Jackson's, especially as the latter relies far more on cutting to guide the spectator's attention to relevant narrative information rather than staging.

[StuSmallz]

Mmmhmm. Anyway...

You may be right, Skitch. I think he did quite a bit of work with stage as well as adapting stage works to screen. So that would make sense.

His visual direction seems to be purely functional. Which is...fine. But not really what I personally go to movies for.

It reminds me of an interview I saw with Peter Bogdanovich on TCM, where he was discussing his favorite films. I forget the exact context of the comment, but at one point he said, "...and to this day, that's all that movies really are. Just people talking."

And I remember thinking, "gotta disagree with you there, bud."

The idea of reducing such an incredible visual medium like film down to "it's just people talking" has always felt asinine to me.

Anyways, my point being, I wonder if Lumet came from a similar school of thought.

...I suppose I do agree with you in general about Lumet, since I can't recall many moments in his movies that struck me as being particularly stylish, but that's never really been a problem, because I can't remember ever feeling that his movies needed any more style than they were given. Don't get me wrong, there are movies I've felt that way about before (like Hell Or High Water, for instance), but it's all on a case-by-case basis; for example, I didn't feel there was much of anything particularly "flashy" about the aesthetic of Chinatown, but it didn't hurt the movie at all, because the direction there mostly just needed to clearly convey Towne's writing, the rich period details, and the strength of the cast's performances, which it did very well, so that's all it needed to do to be a great movie.

[Skitch]

Well I'll be darned...as the last year or twos glut of "assassin girls kick everyones asses" have mostly sucked, The Protege (on Amazon Prime) was pretty good! Micheal Keaton does NOT mail shit in, its worth checking out just for him. Samuel L is excellent as always.

[megladon8]

The Muppet Movie was a freaking delight and I can't believe I haven't seen it before.

This will be very hard to beat this year, for first time viewings.

[Mysterious Dude]

Did Lumet ever do any films that had anything interesting going on visually or stylistically? I've seen several and they all seem based around dynamite scripts and performances, but with incredibly boring visual direction.

Fail-Safe is totally stylish.

[megladon8]

Prisoners was really good. I need to make a point of seeing the rest of Villeneuve's stuff as I've yet to see a stinker from him.

[baby doll]

Prisoners was really good. I need to make a point of seeing the rest of Villeneuve's stuff as I've yet to see a stinker from him.

Villeneuve, rated:

Un 32 août sur terre (1998) warm
Maelström (2000) warm
Polytechnique (2009) warm
Incendies (2010) mild
Enemy (2013) frozen
Arrival (2016) cold
Blade Runner 2049 (2017) cold

[Skitch]

Prisoners was really good. I need to make a point of seeing the rest of Villeneuve's stuff as I've yet to see a stinker from him.

He hasn't let me down yet. See everything.

[transmogrifier]

Incendies is his worst film by miles and just a cliched indie drama with an absolutely ridiculous ending. Skip that one.

[Skitch]

Incendies is his worst film by miles and just a cliched indie drama with an absolutely ridiculous ending. Skip that one.

Hmm...I dont think Ive seen that one. I've seen all his major projects (I mean like the ones with budgets and name actors), I haven't seen his earliest work stuff.

[megladon8]

I thought Blade Runner 2049 was fantastic.

[Skitch]

I thought Blade Runner 2049 was fantastic.

I didn't think I could think a sequel to BR could possibly work and I thought 2049 nailed it. Loved it. All the tones without repeating story, and I didnt figure it out until the end, which, is a rarity for me.

[megladon8]

What did you not like about Arrival, babydoll?

[baby doll]

What did you not like about Arrival, babydoll?

I liked the beginning and end, but thought the middle dragged.

[StuSmallz]

The Arc Of Stanley Kubrick: From Killer’s Kiss to Eyes Wide Shut

[megladon8]

Another first time viewing for me...

The Blues Brothers.

It was great.

[Skitch]

That's one of those movies where I'm like, "yeah but how many people died making this" lol

[baby doll]

That's one of those movies where I'm like, "yeah but how many people died making this" lol

Apparently fewer than Landis' segment for The Twilight Zone: The Movie, where he killed two Asian kids and Jennifer Jason Leigh's dad.

[Spun Lepton]

Another first time viewing for me...

The Blues Brothers.

It was great.

What's really? That's shocking to me. What other blind spots do you have? Here's one of my big ones:

I've never seen Apocalypse Now.

[Skitch]

What's really? That's shocking to me. What other blind spots do you have? Here's one of my big ones:

I've never seen Apocalypse Now.

Oh sir...

...imo the best movie based around the (horrific) Vietnam war.

[Philip J. Fry]

Oh sir...

...imo the best movie based around the (horrific) Vietnam war.

Yup. It's, along The Deer Hunter, Platoon and Full Metal Jacket, one of the can't miss 'Nam flicks.

[Skitch]

Yup. It's, along The Deer Hunter, Platoon and Full Metal Jacket, one of the can't miss 'Nam flicks.

Yup. I have a harder time with Deer Hunter and Platoon because I feel like those are closer to real...where as I can stomach fictional easier when it comes to real things that happened.

[DFA1979]

Do more people love The Great Escape over Stalag 17 (1953)? Cause I just watched Stalag 17 and I think I prefer that one. J.J. Sefton is more relatable to me as a character and I felt that as fantastic as The Great Escape is Stalag is more realistic.