The Official Movie Thread
- Thread starter Manic Ferocity
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no country for old wainds
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- Nov 23, 2002
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RadicalThrasher
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AbelTim
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I've been on a Denis Villeneuve binge these last few days. I've only got Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 left now and then Dune when it is released. Dune looks stunning from the trailer. So far my fav of his films are Sicario followed closely by Prisoners. I would have to say he is one of my favourite directors.
CiG
Approximately Infinite Universe
@RadicalThrasher nope! I honestly don't think I've even heard of it until right now haha! Guess I'll have to check it out too.
Last night I saw Leos Carax's Annette on the big screen. I'm so glad I decided to see it that way rather than wait until it's on Amazon Prime because holy shit what a crazy experience. It was such a blast of energy that I'm not sure I can even unpack the ideas and themes going on yet, I can't wait to watch it again. Simon Helberg gave a standout performance too.
Last night I saw Leos Carax's Annette on the big screen. I'm so glad I decided to see it that way rather than wait until it's on Amazon Prime because holy shit what a crazy experience. It was such a blast of energy that I'm not sure I can even unpack the ideas and themes going on yet, I can't wait to watch it again. Simon Helberg gave a standout performance too.
Slammed
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I have not only owned the VHS since it came out in the 80's, my wife went over the top a few years ago for my birthday and contacted Gary asking if it was available on DVD (before it was commercially) and he sent out a pre-release signed DVD, a note thanking me for being a fan for so many years and an insight into what was going on with SOS2, as well as some other related stuff. As far as the movie goes, it's D grade horror, D grade Sci-Fi, D grade story, with tits and a huge missile, but it's a fucking classic! A hard rocking soundtrack, kind of in the vein of Aussie band Rose Tattoo, in fact Black Alice did do gigs with Rose Tattoo and the like around the time of release and were noted as one of the more popular Aussie heavy metal bands of the 80s. I'm bias (and probably should not give reviews EVER), but I've been watching this film on and off for more than 30 years
challenge_everything
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AbelTim
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Now that I've seen Blade Runner 2049, that is my favourite of his now.
1. Blade Runner 2049
2. Sicario
3. Prisoners
4. Enemy
5. Incendies
6. Arrival
7. Polytechnique
8. August 32nd on Earth
no country for old wainds
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he's a talented stylist but i'm not sure he has a single well written film, which isn't necessarily his fault given he isn't a credited writer for most of his stuff but it's the ol' fincher problem where it can only happen so many times before they start warranting some of the blame. i always end up finding his stuff more shallow the more i think about it.
CiG
Approximately Infinite Universe
As much as I like Blade Runner 2049, his shallowness and lack of writing is glaringly present there. He made the world look nice and all but he didn't really do anything subtextually with it I could sink my teeth into. Sometimes all you want is a visually amazing stylist though so whatevs.
Einherjar86
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I'm not sure I agree that Arrival and Sicario are poorly written. Arrival in particular strikes me as a very well written film, but they also had an incredible short story to work from (which if you haven't read, you should--Ted Chiang's "Story of Your Life").
Sicario may not be a brilliant piece of writing, but I think it's solid.
Next on the list (that I've seen) would come Enemy and Prisoners. I feel like the former didn't know how to conclude, but overall the experiment struck me as well conceived and unsettling. Prisoners always did feel a bit forced, to me.
Sicario may not be a brilliant piece of writing, but I think it's solid.
Next on the list (that I've seen) would come Enemy and Prisoners. I feel like the former didn't know how to conclude, but overall the experiment struck me as well conceived and unsettling. Prisoners always did feel a bit forced, to me.
AbelTim
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Just re-watched the trilogy in prep for the release of the new film. I have to say that on this viewing, the second and third film's worked better for me. Still not a par on the first but still very entertaining and gave the trilogy an end. From what I've read on the new one, should be an interesting ride. 
Also, whose planning on checking out "Spencer"? Looks very intriguing. I've only just learnt it's the same director of "Tony Manero". That film was insanely good.
Also, whose planning on checking out "Spencer"? Looks very intriguing. I've only just learnt it's the same director of "Tony Manero". That film was insanely good.
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CiG
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challenge_everything
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I would agree with the 'average writing' critique as applied to BR2049 but also not convinced it is applicable generally to Villeneuve. He's not an auteur but given good source material I have no issues with his work. Sicario was a perfectly well constructed film for what it was. As Einherjar pointed out, Arrival was very much true to Ted Chiang's novel so I don't feel it's reflective of Villeneuve as a writer/adapter for better or for worse. Certainly I don't think it's shallow, between the meaty linguistic concepts, the time paradoxes and how that provides perspective on grief. My main issue with that film is that it's steeped in a kind of new-age spiritualism that I don't particularly like but again that is also present in the book. Not much chemistry between Adams/Renner either. Prisoners was perhaps a bit shallow in its examination of vigilante justice although I suspect that was at least partly due to Jackman's performance being unconvincing. Incendies has similarities to Citizen Kane in the way a person's death gives rise to a mystery as to who they really were, or perhaps more accurately why they were the way they were, and how we can't really know or judge someone without being able to empathise with what they've lived through. And it has an absolute gut punch of an ending. Villeneuve wrote the script based of an award winning play.
He should be well suited to Dune anyway.
He should be well suited to Dune anyway.
Vegard Pompey
ALLY TO GOOD, NIGHTMARE TO YOU
CiG
Approximately Infinite Universe
I keep hearing good things about that from all the horrorhounds I know, but James Wan is my least favourite director maybe ever. Now that a weirdo like you has praised it though I feel like I definitely gotta see this shit.
challenge_everything
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challenge_everything
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Watched this last night. Riffs on the themes that seem to be in every horror movie lately; family trauma and mental illness. Then morphs into something else entirely - nightmarish cosmic horror. Entertaining watch, although dare I say it, ultimately shallow as a lot of the family dysfunction material is cast aside. Stars Arnie's son, who I didn't even know was an actor.
CiG
Approximately Infinite Universe
According to him the film is about toxic masculinity. Arnie's son is woke.
