Films Recently Watched

Your links are fucked. iMDB don't like hotlinking.

still, great movies!

happy holidays azatoth!

Watched Skyfall & Goldeneye last night. Really interesting to watch James Bond films keeping in mind the context of the state of the political/social world at the time they were made (the good ones, at least... there's certainly more than a few turds in that franchise). Both highly entertaining and very interesting contrast with them being almost 20 years apart and having seen the changes the world has gone through in that time reflected in the films.

For example, Goldeneye still has a bit of that Cold War fear about it, while acknowledging it's over, but with a 90s action/adventure sensibility in the filmmaking. Skyfall taps into the modern cyberwarfare/terrorism climate, and interestingly has pretty much NO sex in it (there's a slight hint that he may have hooked up with the girl who shot him, but it's just them making eyes in his hotel room before cutting away... not even a kiss). Compare to Goldeneye, where he saves the Russian girl who escaped the blown up space weapons facility and 2 days later she's in love with him... and that's not even mentioning the evil Russian gyal who orgasms while killing people with her exposed legs. And even that's considerably toned down from decades past where they named characters things like Pussy Galore.

I think the Bourne movies (and possibly also Austin Powers) are responsible for drastically changing the tone of Bond films (for the better, imo). If Daniel Craig was investigating Javier Bardem's secret evil plot and stumbled upon him having a giant city of identically-dressed henchmen built inside a volcano, we'd pretty much all collectively shout "wow, this is fucking stupid". Having the villain be a guy who simply wants to get revenge and has relatable character motivations and operates within a somewhat realistic application of his skillset* makes the film much easier to get lost in, and thus more entertaining when placed up against other big Hollywood nonsense.

All in all i'd give Skyfall 9/10 and Goldeneye 7/10 for now and 9/10 if I was rating it in 1995.

Also holy crap was that cinematography lush in Skyfall from start to finish.

  On 12/21/2014 at 6:59 PM, autopilot said:

Watched Skyfall & Goldeneye last night. Really interesting to watch James Bond films keeping in mind the context of the state of the political/social world at the time they were made (the good ones, at least... there's certainly more than a few turds in that franchise). Both highly entertaining and very interesting contrast with them being almost 20 years apart and having seen the changes the world has gone through in that time reflected in the films.

 

For example, Goldeneye still has a bit of that Cold War fear about it, while acknowledging it's over, but with a 90s action/adventure sensibility in the filmmaking. Skyfall taps into the modern cyberwarfare/terrorism climate, and interestingly has pretty much NO sex in it (there's a slight hint that he may have hooked up with the girl who shot him, but it's just them making eyes in his hotel room before cutting away... not even a kiss). Compare to Goldeneye, where he saves the Russian girl who escaped the blown up space weapons facility and 2 days later she's in love with him... and that's not even mentioning the evil Russian gyal who orgasms while killing people with her exposed legs. And even that's considerably toned down from decades past where they named characters things like Pussy Galore.

 

I think the Bourne movies (and possibly also Austin Powers) are responsible for drastically changing the tone of Bond films (for the better, imo). If Daniel Craig was investigating Javier Bardem's secret evil plot and stumbled upon him having a giant city of identically-dressed henchmen built inside a volcano, we'd pretty much all collectively shout "wow, this is fucking stupid". Having the villain be a guy who simply wants to get revenge and has relatable character motivations and operates within a somewhat realistic application of his skillset* makes the film much easier to get lost in, and thus more entertaining when placed up against other big Hollywood nonsense.

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

*Though having him detonate the wall of a subway to drop a train on a pursuing Bond is VERY classic Bond setpiece, to me that comes across as more of an adherence to tradition/homage and I was willing to look past its ludicrousness.

 

 

All in all i'd give Skyfall 9/10 and Goldeneye 7/10 for now and 9/10 if I was rating it in 1995.

 

Also holy crap was that cinematography lush in Skyfall from start to finish.

I was talking about just this with a mate recently I completely agree with you. Can't wait to see what they'll make of Spectre! Some more finance and corruption for sure.

fantastic.

Usagi, I like you so I'm going to give this movie a shot tonight. I've had it on my list on Netflix since forever. Tonight is the night.

it's really slow. like Kubrick's 2001-slow. but it's amazing and intense and I actually found it frightening. I'm feeling pretty tired/numb from lack of sleep but it still got me. in fact I think this movie works better if you're burned out and not really using the front-end of your brain.

it's not flawless but definitely worth a watch. the visuals and the score work together magically.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjLTQg1Ft5M

scrooged-one of my best xmas films-squee on top form in this one-8/10

event horizon-not quite as good as i remember,some cool bits tho-6.5/10

fugazi-instrument-awesome doc about one of my fave bands-10/10

earth-within the drone-not so awesome doc about one of my fave bands-7/10

  On 12/22/2014 at 12:48 PM, usagi said:

 

it's really slow. like Kubrick's 2001-slow. but it's amazing and intense and I actually found it frightening. I'm feeling pretty tired/numb from lack of sleep but it still got me. in fact I think this movie works better if you're burned out and not really using the front-end of your brain.

 

it's not flawless but definitely worth a watch. the visuals and the score work together magically.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjLTQg1Ft5M

Oh wow, the soundtrack has finally been released! Didn't even catch that!

And I agree completely, first attempts to watch this (alert, lots of coffee, etc.) didn't work out, so I tried it deep in the night with a lot of scotch. Amazing experience, both visually as musically. Best movie I've seen this year.

Gone Girl - 8/10

Very slick looking and sounding Fincher thriller, as is to be expected. Pike and Affleck did great jobs as did the other actors. The soundtrack is excellent, really created a sense of dread throughout the film and Reznor & Ross are establishing themselves as premium movie scorers.

  On 12/22/2014 at 1:46 PM, azatoth said:

Reznor & Ross are establishing themselves as premium movie scorers.

Agreed. I want Reznor to switch to scoring soundtracks full time as his music output otherwise has been awful for well over a decade now.

  On 12/22/2014 at 12:08 PM, Squee said:

Usagi, I like you so I'm going to give this movie a shot tonight. I've had it on my list on Netflix since forever. Tonight is the night.

Squee, I like you, so please accept the endorsement from my side, as well.

  On 12/21/2014 at 7:03 PM, Perezvon said:

I was talking about just this with a mate recently I completely agree with you. Can't wait to see what they'll make of Spectre! Some more finance and corruption for sure.

 

Yeah, I'm excited for sure. Sam Mendes is directing again (he directed Skyfall). Unfortunately Roger Deakins won't be returning as DP. He's one of the reasons Skyfall was so good, with those consistently brilliant shots throughout. For anyone who doesn't know, Deakins is the cinematographer for pretty much the entire Coen bros catalog as well as some classics like Shawshank Redemption. DPs are very much the unsung heroes of the world of film.

Don Hertzfeld's It's Such a Beautiful Day - 10/10. Brilliant story telling and themes, can't recommend enough

cinderella (disney) - 0/10

scrooged - 0/10

22 Jump Street was wicked. Thats some funny shit. Especially Rob Riggle in the deleted scenes.

  On 12/22/2014 at 11:40 PM, hoggy said:

cinderella (disney) - 0/10

lol. what were you expecting? it's a Disney movie. either watch it expecting a Disney movie or don't watch. I personally still enjoy it because it was one of my favourites as a kid. Jungle Book is the best though.

  On 12/22/2014 at 7:22 PM, autopilot said:

 

  On 12/21/2014 at 7:03 PM, Perezvon said:

I was talking about just this with a mate recently I completely agree with you. Can't wait to see what they'll make of Spectre! Some more finance and corruption for sure.

 

 

Yeah, I'm excited for sure. Sam Mendes is directing again (he directed Skyfall). Unfortunately Roger Deakins won't be returning as DP. He's one of the reasons Skyfall was so good, with those consistently brilliant shots throughout. For anyone who doesn't know, Deakins is the cinematographer for pretty much the entire Coen bros catalog as well as some classics like Shawshank Redemption. DPs are very much the unsung heroes of the world of film.

 

Oh dayum, those shots in the Scottish valleys in the last part of Skyfall were amazing!

Yeah, it was one of the best looking movies I've seen in recent memory.

  On 12/23/2014 at 12:20 AM, usagi said:

 

  On 12/22/2014 at 11:40 PM, hoggy said:

cinderella (disney) - 0/10

 

lol. what were you expecting? it's a Disney movie. either watch it expecting a Disney movie or don't watch. I personally still enjoy it because it was one of my favourites as a kid. Jungle Book is the best though.

 

it was on tv at work. some disney movies are awesome - sleeping beauty, maleficent, wreck it ralph

cinderella is awful though

  On 12/17/2014 at 2:16 PM, usagi said:

 

  On 12/17/2014 at 1:01 PM, roasty said:

 

  On 12/12/2014 at 12:55 PM, usagi said:

Enemy. weird. I didn't fully get it, but I liked it. Jake Gyllenhaal will forever be typecast in my mind as a manic/obsessive type.

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

A decent explanation

 

 

 

 

cheers, that was good. good fillum.

 

Dawgz, Enemy is 9.7/10.

  On 12/22/2014 at 1:53 PM, Obel said:

 

  On 12/22/2014 at 1:46 PM, azatoth said:

Reznor & Ross are establishing themselves as premium movie scorers.

 

Agreed. I want Reznor to switch to scoring soundtracks full time as his music output otherwise has been awful for well over a decade now.

 

apparently he just also scored Citizen Four, the documentary about Edward Snowden but for some reason his score for it got almost no press at all.

Elysium, finally.

mixed feelings about this. the idea of the species struggling for equilibrium amidst massive overpopulation and all the strain/decay that comes with that is what appeals to me the most about the premise, but, as usual with the big budget scifi flicks of today, it's the little things (or not so little, really) about the execution that bring it down. the overly shaky camerawork and rapid cutting really fucked with it. the exosuit designs were cool though, believable. I liked them a lot more than, say, the Edge of Tomorrow ones.

I guess if you're a kid in this era, this is the best a blockbuster-type flick is gonna get.

what I'd really like to see in a movie that touches on population control is exploration of the harsh reality that "every life is precious, but the more lives there are, the less precious each individual life becomes".