OT: FILMS - January 2017

[TT]

Here's a bunch of films I've seen, during last month or so... and the
last thread got too long while discussing ever important matter of
Theron vs Watts...

-

Arrival (2016)
...Intelligent and flawless scifi film with a human angle (Yes Grif, I
disagree with the story having flaws, everything ties perfectly
together). Can't really tell much about the story without spoiling it, I
knew pretty much nothing when going to see it today. All I can tell is
that it's opposite of action scifi blockbusters such as "Independence
Day". The pacing was very deliberate most of the film, so don't expect
flashy action film. Villeneuve's direction very professional and I'd
argue he's very top director(s) at the moment. Cinematography is great
looking and CGI is used sparingly or at least with good taste. Amy
Adams' acting was imo superb and she looked very pretty in her "au
naturelle" make-up - while Villeneuve's camera gave her lots of
close-ups. I think seeing the film at cinema adds value to the film,
mainly some cinematic wide takes with CGI and Amy Adams close-ups
filling the screen. Not sure how it fares on second viewing when you
already know the story. Best film of 2016 and must see for true science
fiction fans. Waiting to see Blade Runner from same director...

8/10, minimum

Approaching the Unknown (2016)
...slow paced science fiction about a man travelling to Mars, alone.
More of a psychological study than science fiction. All in the film is
not what it seems, I think.

6/10

Southside with You (2016)
..."The film chronicles the summer 1989 afternoon when the future
President of the United States, Barack Obama, wooed his future First
Lady, Michelle Obama, on a first date across Chicago's South Side."
...You can't make a film about that, can you? Not really, unless the
film is "Before Sunrise". The film is mostly Barack and Michelle
talking, so a bit on the boring side... the ending was nice though and
the actor who played Barack looked, talked and acted a lot like the
original does today. I should google if Obamas have seen it and what did
they think of it...

6/10

Spartacus (1960)
...I don't understand why I've rated this film only 8. Surely the ending
and nice chat about oysters and snails deserves a 9. Ok, Ben Hur is
arguably better but goddamn the cast of Spartacus is great, could have
given Oscar to anyone... gave it to Peter Ustinov as the greedy
gladiator school owner, Batiatus... No Oscars for Gracchus.

9/10 - epics don't get more epic than this

A Canterbury Tale (1944)
... "A 'Land Girl', an American GI, and a British soldier find
themselves together in a small Kent town on the road to Canterbury"
...There's a side/main story about a man who attacks ladies in the dark
and puts glue in their hair - and that's the exciting part.
I can see that it's a nice "feel good movie" but I did feel there wasn't
enough glue to hold the story together. It came off to me as a
travelogue program and one of those light British country doctor TV
series with likeable down to earth characters where nothing much
happens. I guess it's worth a try for different pace and catching a
romanticized version of war time in Britain. Didn't work for me.

5/10

Heavenly Bodies (1984)
...Canadian Flash Dance with Canadian Lea Thompson (Cynthia Dale) but
with a heavenly body...
http://imagehost.vendio.com/a/35104116/aview/img013_120.jpg

Apparently shown regularly on TCM late night slot because of being
"cult" and "soft porn". Most of the film is aerobics dancing with
mediocre yet fitting and catchy music. There's a slim story too: "A
small dance studio fights for its existence against the unscrupulous
owner of a rival club".
The film is sort of a mix between FLASHDANCE, JOYSTICKS and THE LEGEND
OF BILLIE JEAN. The final competition is reminiscent of THEY SHOOT
HORSES, DON'T THEY. It's a below average movie but I somehow found it
rather entertaining... Cynthia Dale sure is nice to look at and pretty
charismatic as an actress too. Better than Jane Fonda workout video.
Solid Gold! I give it 6 or 7 leg warmers out of 10. Hell, I'll give it...

7/10.


Now, Voyager (1942)
..."A frumpy spinster blossoms under therapy and becomes an elegant,
independent woman".
Often cited as one of Bette Davis' best movies. It is very good,
especially Davis and the woman who plays her mother from hell. It could
have been a great film if it hadn't changed direction in the last 20
minutes. Maybe it still is, mostly. A special feature is the actors
smoking a lot, which serves as device to display Davis' character's
rebellion against her dominating mother - AND as a hint to intimacy in
the relationship (a man lights up both his and her cigarettes in his
mouth multiple times) during Hayes code.

7/10

The Letter (1940)
...One of the best beginnings for a film... Bette Davis shoots seemingly
cold blooded a man, emptying the whole barrel. Was it self defence and
can she avoid the punishment? Gale Sondergaard does a chilling
performance as the dead man's wife. The woman with cobra-eyes.

7/10

The Uninvited (1944)
...Great gothic ghost story... not very scary per se but very stylish
and atmospheric... ghosts are well made and effective, even more so than
with modern effects imo. Gail Russell is charming as the female lead
with family connection to the haunted house. The only problem I had was
"Miss Holloway" (The lesbian nuthouse manager) acting opposite to her
character towards the end. Great film and great cinematography.
Sophisticated horror film, something between Rebecca and The Innocents.
That mimosa smell...

8/10

Freaks (1932)
...Has to be seen to be believed! I had cases of uncontrollable giggles
still few minutes after the film... happens, like, never. Not really
scary but... something. Great film, certainly different. Never seen a
limbless person look scary with a knife in his mouth, at least before
seeing this odd and unforgettable "horror" classic. Must see for everyone.

8/10

A Touch of Zen (1971)
...Taiwan. For fans of "Wuxia" genre (That means films such as Hero,
Crouching Tiger...). Influential Wuxia classic with sometimes typically
tedious and confusing storytelling. But the cinematography and visual
look is really good, as is the last 20 minutes.

7/10

Chungking Express (1994)
..."Two melancholy Hong Kong policemen fall in love: one with a
mysterious female underworld figure, the other with a beautiful and
ethereal server at a late-night restaurant he frequents."
...Wong Kar Wai's much praised nice little love story. I wouldn't say it
deserves all the accolades it has gotten, but as I said it's nice little
film with some personality. Grif will like this I am certain - just
don't get discouraged by the beginning which is rather different and
unrelated to rest of the film.

7/10

Children of a Lesser God (1986)
...William Hurt plays a speech teacher in school of deaf and a romance
ensues. High quality film starring a deaf actress as a deaf person, who
received Oscar for her role. Brilliant acting, very life-like.

8/10

Ordinary People (1980)
...Best picture winner about ordinary middle class family which has
problems boiling under the surface. Again very realistic and all round
brilliant performances. Emotional and powerful, perhaps best family
drama I have seen... Kramer vs Kramer could be close.
Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, Timothy Hutton.
Four Oscars: Best picture, best actor (Hutton), best screenplay and best
direction (Robert Redford!).

9/10 - Makes my top 250..

Postcards from the Edge (1990)
...Screenplay (and novel) written by Carrie Fisher. It's basically a
semi-biographical story about Carrie Fisher's drug abuse and
relationship with her mother, but with different names. The focus is
more on the mother relationship while in the novel it's apparently more
about the drug abuse. "Overrated" Meryl Streep plays the daughter while
Shirley MacLaine plays the mother. Not as overrated in 2015 when Trump
said: "Meryl Streep is excellent; she's a fine person, too." But I
digress. RIP Fisher & Reynolds.

7/10


The Trial (1962)
...Have I already commented on this?
...Orson Welles' best film, starring Anthony Perkins. The story is most
surreal: "An unassuming office worker is arrested and stands trial, but
he is never made aware of his charges." Perhaps not for everyone but
must see for cinephiles at least. Perkins is good and script is strange
and creative, but the real star is noirish cinematography... best
visuals in any Welles vehicle - by far!

8/10

Ordet (1955)
...Have I already commented on this?
... Pretentious, boring piece of shit from Dreyer. This type of films
were made in Finland in 1920s, I guess, with religious pathos. Even more
overrated than Ms Streep.

3/10

[Gracchus]

On Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at 2:41:24 PM UTC-8, TT wrote:
> Here's a bunch of films I've seen, during last month or so... and the
> last thread got too long while discussing ever important matter of
> Theron vs Watts...
>
> -
>
> Arrival (2016)
> ...Intelligent and flawless scifi film with a human angle (Yes Grif, I
> disagree with the story having flaws, everything ties perfectly
> together). Can't really tell much about the story without spoiling it, I
> knew pretty much nothing when going to see it today. All I can tell is
> that it's opposite of action scifi blockbusters such as "Independence
> Day". The pacing was very deliberate most of the film, so don't expect
> flashy action film. Villeneuve's direction very professional and I'd
> argue he's very top director(s) at the moment. Cinematography is great
> looking and CGI is used sparingly or at least with good taste. Amy
> Adams' acting was imo superb and she looked very pretty in her "au
> naturelle" make-up - while Villeneuve's camera gave her lots of
> close-ups. I think seeing the film at cinema adds value to the film,
> mainly some cinematic wide takes with CGI and Amy Adams close-ups
> filling the screen. Not sure how it fares on second viewing when you
> already know the story. Best film of 2016 and must see for true science
> fiction fans. Waiting to see Blade Runner from same director...
>
> 8/10, minimum

I didn't read the body of your review because I'll definitely see this one. I hope now you're willing to acknowledge that Villeneuve is a god. :)

> Spartacus (1960)
> ...I don't understand why I've rated this film only 8. Surely the ending
> and nice chat about oysters and snails deserves a 9. Ok, Ben Hur is
> arguably better but goddamn the cast of Spartacus is great, could have
> given Oscar to anyone... gave it to Peter Ustinov as the greedy
> gladiator school owner, Batiatus... No Oscars for Gracchus.

But he deserved one! Yeah, I love this film. I've seen it a bunch of times and prefer it to "Ben Hur," though both are great. Olivier, Laughton, Ustinov were all in prime form. Douglas & Simmons very good. Tony Curtis...ok as Antoninus, "singa of soongs." Only one really bad performance, and that's John Dall as Glabrus. He gave one of the worst line-readings ever to Olivier with, "I don't know how I shall ever repay you." His character to me always seemed like a Roman Dan Quayle.

Little bit of trivia about the "oysters and snails" scene. They cut it from the original release, and when they were ready to restore it in the 1990s, they found that there were audio problems. Tony Curtis was still around to redo his, but Olivier of course was long gone. So the producers talked to Olivier's ex-wife Joan Plowright, who said she'd heard Anthony Hopkins do a great Olivier impression at a party. So that's who they went to. Grandmaster Hopkins is really who you're hearing in that scene.

> Ordinary People (1980)
> ...Best picture winner about ordinary middle class family which has
> problems boiling under the surface. Again very realistic and all round
> brilliant performances. Emotional and powerful, perhaps best family
> drama I have seen... Kramer vs Kramer could be close.
> Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, Timothy Hutton.
> Four Oscars: Best picture, best actor (Hutton), best screenplay and best
> direction (Robert Redford!).
>
> 9/10 - Makes my top 250..

I love this one too, even though "family dramas" aren't my favorite genre. Never would have thought before this film that MTM could give a great dramatic performance, but she was perfect here. They were all excellent. I've got to watch it again now.

[grif]

On 10/01/2017 22:41, TT wrote:
> Here's a bunch of films I've seen, during last month or so... and the last thread got too long while discussing ever important matter of Theron vs Watts...
>
> -
>
> Arrival (2016)
> ...Intelligent and flawless scifi film with a human angle (Yes Grif, I disagree with the story having flaws, everything ties perfectly together). Can't really tell much about the story without spoiling it, I knew pretty much nothing when going to see it today. All I can tell is that it's opposite of action scifi blockbusters such as "Independence Day". The pacing was very deliberate most of the film, so don't expect flashy action film. Villeneuve's direction very professional and I'd argue he's very top director(s) at the moment. Cinematography is great looking and CGI is used sparingly or at least with good taste. Amy Adams' acting was imo superb and she looked very pretty in her "au naturelle" make-up - while Villeneuve's camera gave her lots of close-ups. I think seeing the film at cinema adds value to the film, mainly some cinematic wide takes with CGI and Amy Adams close-ups filling the screen. Not sure how it fares on second viewing when you already know the story. Best
> film of 2016 and must see for true science fiction fans. Waiting to see Blade Runner from same director...
>
> 8/10, minimum
>

I don't recall talking about flaws when mentioning "Arrival". You might be confusing me with someone else, or are you referring to some of the general criticisms of the film from some people ? Time may not be linear.

>
> Chungking Express (1994)
> ..."Two melancholy Hong Kong policemen fall in love: one with a mysterious female underworld figure, the other with a beautiful and ethereal server at a late-night restaurant he frequents."
> ...Wong Kar Wai's much praised nice little love story. I wouldn't say it deserves all the accolades it has gotten, but as I said it's nice little film with some personality. Grif will like this I am certain - just don't get discouraged by the beginning which is rather different and unrelated to rest of the film.
>
> 7/10

I mentioned this film ages ago. Yes, I really liked the kookiness of the film and the nocturnal vibe.

[Court_1]

On Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at 5:41:24 PM UTC-5, TT wrote:

> Arrival (2016)
> ...Intelligent and flawless scifi film with a human angle (Yes Grif, I
> disagree with the story having flaws, everything ties perfectly
> together). Can't really tell much about the story without spoiling it, I
> knew pretty much nothing when going to see it today. All I can tell is
> that it's opposite of action scifi blockbusters such as "Independence
> Day". The pacing was very deliberate most of the film, so don't expect
> flashy action film. Villeneuve's direction very professional and I'd
> argue he's very top director(s) at the moment. Cinematography is great
> looking and CGI is used sparingly or at least with good taste. Amy
> Adams' acting was imo superb and she looked very pretty in her "au
> naturelle" make-up - while Villeneuve's camera gave her lots of
> close-ups. I think seeing the film at cinema adds value to the film,
> mainly some cinematic wide takes with CGI and Amy Adams close-ups
> filling the screen. Not sure how it fares on second viewing when you
> already know the story. Best film of 2016 and must see for true science
> fiction fans. Waiting to see Blade Runner from same director...
>
> 8/10, minimum

Sounds good. I'll try and check it out.

> Spartacus (1960)
> ...I don't understand why I've rated this film only 8. Surely the ending
> and nice chat about oysters and snails deserves a 9. Ok, Ben Hur is
> arguably better but goddamn the cast of Spartacus is great, could have
> given Oscar to anyone... gave it to Peter Ustinov as the greedy
> gladiator school owner, Batiatus... No Oscars for Gracchus.
>
> 9/10 - epics don't get more epic than this

Spartacus was good.

> Heavenly Bodies (1984)
> ...Canadian Flash Dance with Canadian Lea Thompson (Cynthia Dale) but
> with a heavenly body...
> http://imagehost.vendio.com/a/35104116/aview/img013_120.jpg
>
> Apparently shown regularly on TCM late night slot because of being
> "cult" and "soft porn". Most of the film is aerobics dancing with
> mediocre yet fitting and catchy music. There's a slim story too: "A
> small dance studio fights for its existence against the unscrupulous
> owner of a rival club".
> The film is sort of a mix between FLASHDANCE, JOYSTICKS and THE LEGEND
> OF BILLIE JEAN. The final competition is reminiscent of THEY SHOOT
> HORSES, DON'T THEY. It's a below average movie but I somehow found it
> rather entertaining... Cynthia Dale sure is nice to look at and pretty
> charismatic as an actress too. Better than Jane Fonda workout video.
> Solid Gold! I give it 6 or 7 leg warmers out of 10. Hell, I'll give it...
>
> 7/10.

This sounds horrendous along the lines of Laura Mars! :)

> Now, Voyager (1942)
> ..."A frumpy spinster blossoms under therapy and becomes an elegant,
> independent woman".
> Often cited as one of Bette Davis' best movies. It is very good,
> especially Davis and the woman who plays her mother from hell. It could
> have been a great film if it hadn't changed direction in the last 20
> minutes. Maybe it still is, mostly. A special feature is the actors
> smoking a lot, which serves as device to display Davis' character's
> rebellion against her dominating mother - AND as a hint to intimacy in
> the relationship (a man lights up both his and her cigarettes in his
> mouth multiple times) during Hayes code.

I want to see that.

> 7/10
>
> The Letter (1940)
> ...One of the best beginnings for a film... Bette Davis shoots seemingly
> cold blooded a man, emptying the whole barrel. Was it self defence and
> can she avoid the punishment? Gale Sondergaard does a chilling
> performance as the dead man's wife. The woman with cobra-eyes.
>
> 7/10

I want to see this one too.

> The Uninvited (1944)
> ...Great gothic ghost story... not very scary per se but very stylish
> and atmospheric... ghosts are well made and effective, even more so than
> with modern effects imo. Gail Russell is charming as the female lead
> with family connection to the haunted house. The only problem I had was
> "Miss Holloway" (The lesbian nuthouse manager) acting opposite to her
> character towards the end. Great film and great cinematography.
> Sophisticated horror film, something between Rebecca and The Innocents.
> That mimosa smell...
>
> 8/10

So you finally watched The Uninvited and you gave it a higher rating than I did! I think I rated it around a 7. I found the dialogue a little dated and I thought Gail Russell's acting was a little too melodramatic but it was a good Gothic ghost story with an eerie atmosphere and it led the way for future ghost story movies.

> Freaks (1932)
> ...Has to be seen to be believed! I had cases of uncontrollable giggles
> still few minutes after the film... happens, like, never. Not really
> scary but... something. Great film, certainly different. Never seen a
> limbless person look scary with a knife in his mouth, at least before
> seeing this odd and unforgettable "horror" classic. Must see for everyone.
>
> 8/10

I want to see this one too.

> Children of a Lesser God (1986)
> ...William Hurt plays a speech teacher in school of deaf and a romance
> ensues. High quality film starring a deaf actress as a deaf person, who
> received Oscar for her role. Brilliant acting, very life-like.
>
> 8/10

I saw this so long ago that I don't remember a thing about it.

> Ordinary People (1980)
> ...Best picture winner about ordinary middle class family which has
> problems boiling under the surface. Again very realistic and all round
> brilliant performances. Emotional and powerful, perhaps best family
> drama I have seen... Kramer vs Kramer could be close.
> Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, Timothy Hutton.
> Four Oscars: Best picture, best actor (Hutton), best screenplay and best
> direction (Robert Redford!).
>
> 9/10 - Makes my top 250..

Yay, we agree on a movie! Ordinary People is one of the best family dramas of all time. Brilliant film, brilliant acting from MTM and Timothy Hutton especially. Donald Sutherland was good too. I never tire of this movie. Was this the first time you saw Ordinary People?

> Postcards from the Edge (1990)
> ...Screenplay (and novel) written by Carrie Fisher. It's basically a
> semi-biographical story about Carrie Fisher's drug abuse and
> relationship with her mother, but with different names. The focus is
> more on the mother relationship while in the novel it's apparently more
> about the drug abuse. "Overrated" Meryl Streep plays the daughter while
> Shirley MacLaine plays the mother. Not as overrated in 2015 when Trump
> said: "Meryl Streep is excellent; she's a fine person, too." But I
> digress. RIP Fisher & Reynolds.
>
> 7/10

Another movie I saw so long ago and remember liking at the time but my memory is faint on it now.

[TT]

I don't think I spoiled anything, and I agree it's better to know
NOTHING about the film before seeing. I recommended that you should see
it in cinema, imo it benefits from theatre experience some.

I also said it's best film of 2016... and that Villeneuve IS God!
Although I must take the latter back since I mixed him with Inarritu and
thought he made Revenant last year. Still, impressed with this film and
his direction.

>> Spartacus (1960)
>> ...I don't understand why I've rated this film only 8. Surely the ending
>> and nice chat about oysters and snails deserves a 9. Ok, Ben Hur is
>> arguably better but goddamn the cast of Spartacus is great, could have
>> given Oscar to anyone... gave it to Peter Ustinov as the greedy
>> gladiator school owner, Batiatus... No Oscars for Gracchus.
>
> But he deserved one! Yeah, I love this film. I've seen it a bunch of times and prefer it to "Ben Hur," though both are great. Olivier, Laughton, Ustinov were all in prime form. Douglas & Simmons very good. Tony Curtis...ok as Antoninus, "singa of soongs." Only one really bad performance, and that's John Dall as Glabrus. He gave one of the worst line-readings ever to Olivier with, "I don't know how I shall ever repay you." His character to me always seemed like a Roman Dan Quayle.
>

Totally agree with Dall! :)
He had the only poor performance. And yes Curtis was only ok but fitting
for the role for his looks at least.

> Little bit of trivia about the "oysters and snails" scene. They cut it from the original release, and when they were ready to restore it in the 1990s, they found that there were audio problems. Tony Curtis was still around to redo his, but Olivier of course was long gone. So the producers talked to Olivier's ex-wife Joan Plowright, who said she'd heard Anthony Hopkins do a great Olivier impression at a party. So that's who they went to. Grandmaster Hopkins is really who you're hearing in that scene.
>

Hopkins is God.

Didn't know that about the scene. Indeed the version I saw last did have
the whole scene... and it's pretty dirty scene too, Rubbing back half
dressed while talking about snails.

...After which scene Crassus said that you can't fight Rome but must
submit - that line gets whole different meaning with oyster scene...it's
as if Olivier's character was demanding Curtis' character to submit as
his sex toy. He left immediately and joined the rebellion.

[TT]

*ARRIVAL SPOILER* (Huge)

Ok, maybe you talked about general criticism by other people. That is of
course unwarranted if it's on time travel since every film with that
topic has paradoxes, sometimes more obvious sometimes less. I liked how
it all tied together in the end, the language was a tool for moving in
time...circular symbols. The human being and personal aspect for Adams'
character was very good too. I loved some scenes with the ships (pods),
great look visually.

*SPOILER END*

It really is fine science fiction.

>>
>> Chungking Express (1994)
>> ..."Two melancholy Hong Kong policemen fall in love: one with a
>> mysterious female underworld figure, the other with a beautiful and
>> ethereal server at a late-night restaurant he frequents."
>> ...Wong Kar Wai's much praised nice little love story. I wouldn't say
>> it deserves all the accolades it has gotten, but as I said it's nice
>> little film with some personality. Grif will like this I am certain -
>> just don't get discouraged by the beginning which is rather different
>> and unrelated to rest of the film.
>>
>> 7/10
>
> I mentioned this film ages ago. Yes, I really liked the kookiness of the
> film and the nocturnal vibe.

Oh, I thought you had mentioned it but somehow remembered you had not
seen it. Well, I was correct that you'd like it then. :)

[TT]

11.1.2017, 1:27, Court_1 kirjoitti:
> On Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at 5:41:24 PM UTC-5, TT wrote:
>
>> Arrival (2016)
>> ...Intelligent and flawless scifi film with a human angle (Yes Grif, I
>> disagree with the story having flaws, everything ties perfectly
>> together). Can't really tell much about the story without spoiling it, I
>> knew pretty much nothing when going to see it today. All I can tell is
>> that it's opposite of action scifi blockbusters such as "Independence
>> Day". The pacing was very deliberate most of the film, so don't expect
>> flashy action film. Villeneuve's direction very professional and I'd
>> argue he's very top director(s) at the moment. Cinematography is great
>> looking and CGI is used sparingly or at least with good taste. Amy
>> Adams' acting was imo superb and she looked very pretty in her "au
>> naturelle" make-up - while Villeneuve's camera gave her lots of
>> close-ups. I think seeing the film at cinema adds value to the film,
>> mainly some cinematic wide takes with CGI and Amy Adams close-ups
>> filling the screen. Not sure how it fares on second viewing when you
>> already know the story. Best film of 2016 and must see for true science
>> fiction fans. Waiting to see Blade Runner from same director...
>>
>> 8/10, minimum
>
> Sounds good. I'll try and check it out.
>

Is good even for non-scifi-fans I think.

>
>> Heavenly Bodies (1984)
>> ...Canadian Flash Dance with Canadian Lea Thompson (Cynthia Dale) but
>> with a heavenly body...
>> http://imagehost.vendio.com/a/35104116/aview/img013_120.jpg
>>
>> Apparently shown regularly on TCM late night slot because of being
>> "cult" and "soft porn". Most of the film is aerobics dancing with
>> mediocre yet fitting and catchy music. There's a slim story too: "A
>> small dance studio fights for its existence against the unscrupulous
>> owner of a rival club".
>> The film is sort of a mix between FLASHDANCE, JOYSTICKS and THE LEGEND
>> OF BILLIE JEAN. The final competition is reminiscent of THEY SHOOT
>> HORSES, DON'T THEY. It's a below average movie but I somehow found it
>> rather entertaining... Cynthia Dale sure is nice to look at and pretty
>> charismatic as an actress too. Better than Jane Fonda workout video.
>> Solid Gold! I give it 6 or 7 leg warmers out of 10. Hell, I'll give it...
>>
>> 7/10.
>
> This sounds horrendous along the lines of Laura Mars! :)
>

Yes, you SHOULD hate it!
Then again it's CANADIAN! ;)

>> The Uninvited (1944)
>> ...Great gothic ghost story... not very scary per se but very stylish
>> and atmospheric... ghosts are well made and effective, even more so than
>> with modern effects imo. Gail Russell is charming as the female lead
>> with family connection to the haunted house. The only problem I had was
>> "Miss Holloway" (The lesbian nuthouse manager) acting opposite to her
>> character towards the end. Great film and great cinematography.
>> Sophisticated horror film, something between Rebecca and The Innocents.
>> That mimosa smell...
>>
>> 8/10
>
> So you finally watched The Uninvited and you gave it a higher rating than I did! I think I rated it around a 7. I found the dialogue a little dated and I thought Gail Russell's acting was a little too melodramatic but it was a good Gothic ghost story with an eerie atmosphere and it led the way for future ghost story movies.
>
>

Yes, some claim that it's the first serious ghost story. (huh?)
One of the best for certain.

>> Freaks (1932)
>> ...Has to be seen to be believed! I had cases of uncontrollable giggles
>> still few minutes after the film... happens, like, never. Not really
>> scary but... something. Great film, certainly different. Never seen a
>> limbless person look scary with a knife in his mouth, at least before
>> seeing this odd and unforgettable "horror" classic. Must see for everyone.
>>
>> 8/10
>
> I want to see this one too.
>

It's crazy film. :)

Drama, horror, (unintended?) comedy.

>> Ordinary People (1980)
>> ...Best picture winner about ordinary middle class family which has
>> problems boiling under the surface. Again very realistic and all round
>> brilliant performances. Emotional and powerful, perhaps best family
>> drama I have seen... Kramer vs Kramer could be close.
>> Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, Timothy Hutton.
>> Four Oscars: Best picture, best actor (Hutton), best screenplay and best
>> direction (Robert Redford!).
>>
>> 9/10 - Makes my top 250..
>
> Yay, we agree on a movie! Ordinary People is one of the best family dramas of all time. Brilliant film, brilliant acting from MTM and Timothy Hutton especially. Donald Sutherland was good too. I never tire of this movie. Was this the first time you saw Ordinary People?
>
>
>

Yes, I think it was the first time. It's possible that I've seen it in
early 80s but was too immature to fully appreciate it from emotional pov.

>> Postcards from the Edge (1990)
>> ...Screenplay (and novel) written by Carrie Fisher. It's basically a
>> semi-biographical story about Carrie Fisher's drug abuse and
>> relationship with her mother, but with different names. The focus is
>> more on the mother relationship while in the novel it's apparently more
>> about the drug abuse. "Overrated" Meryl Streep plays the daughter while
>> Shirley MacLaine plays the mother. Not as overrated in 2015 when Trump
>> said: "Meryl Streep is excellent; she's a fine person, too." But I
>> digress. RIP Fisher & Reynolds.
>>
>> 7/10
>
> Another movie I saw so long ago and remember liking at the time but my memory is faint on it now.
>
>
>

I may have added one extra point because of Fisher/Reynolds. Then again
I might have taken one off because Streep was nasty to Donald. ;)

[Gracchus]

On Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at 3:53:01 PM UTC-8, TT wrote:
> 11.1.2017, 1:27, Court_1 kirjoitti:


> > Yay, we agree on a movie! Ordinary People is one of the best family dramas of all time. Brilliant film, brilliant acting from MTM and Timothy Hutton especially. Donald Sutherland was good too. I never tire of this movie. Was this the first time you saw Ordinary People?

> Yes, I think it was the first time. It's possible that I've seen it in
> early 80s but was too immature to fully appreciate it from emotional pov.

I liked it when I first saw it back then, but think it is one of those movies that gains layers of meaning as one gets older.

> >> Postcards from the Edge (1990)
> >> ...Screenplay (and novel) written by Carrie Fisher. It's basically a
> >> semi-biographical story about Carrie Fisher's drug abuse and
> >> relationship with her mother, but with different names. The focus is
> >> more on the mother relationship while in the novel it's apparently more
> >> about the drug abuse. "Overrated" Meryl Streep plays the daughter while
> >> Shirley MacLaine plays the mother. Not as overrated in 2015 when Trump
> >> said: "Meryl Streep is excellent; she's a fine person, too." But I
> >> digress. RIP Fisher & Reynolds.

> > Another movie I saw so long ago and remember liking at the time but my memory is faint on it now.

> I may have added one extra point because of Fisher/Reynolds.

That's a good enough reason. The other night I watched "Bright Lights," the documentary about them. Even outside the context of their recent demise, it was very well-done.

> I might have taken one off because Streep was nasty to Donald. ;)

That wicked old witch Streep.

[grif]

I was probably talking about "Sicario" at the time and you might have gotten them mixed up.

*Um, Spoilers*

Yes, that was also why I mentioned the "time may not be linear" aspect. Some of the criticism I saw about the film assumed that was the case. Well, apparently not for the aliens. I also hinted at a palindromic aspect of the film when I first talked about it, remember TJT ? :p

*End

>
>>>
>>> Chungking Express (1994)
>>> ..."Two melancholy Hong Kong policemen fall in love: one with a
>>> mysterious female underworld figure, the other with a beautiful and
>>> ethereal server at a late-night restaurant he frequents."
>>> ...Wong Kar Wai's much praised nice little love story. I wouldn't say
>>> it deserves all the accolades it has gotten, but as I said it's nice
>>> little film with some personality. Grif will like this I am certain -
>>> just don't get discouraged by the beginning which is rather different
>>> and unrelated to rest of the film.
>>>
>>> 7/10
>>
>> I mentioned this film ages ago. Yes, I really liked the kookiness of the
>> film and the nocturnal vibe.
>
> Oh, I thought you had mentioned it but somehow remembered you had not seen it. Well, I was correct that you'd like it then. :)

How can you resist street food ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ol9qzDsCCQ

Speaking about Villeneuve, I hear he may also direct a reboot of "Dune", which leads me to a good documentary that I saw recently, "Jodorowsky's Dune":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0cJNR8HEw0

[Gracchus]

On Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at 4:21:28 PM UTC-8, grif wrote:

> Speaking about Villeneuve, I hear he may also direct a reboot of "Dune", which leads me to a good documentary that I saw recently, "Jodorowsky's Dune":
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0cJNR8HEw0

He couldn't do any worse than Lynch I guess.

[grif]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ7YZXeI54s

[TT]

11.1.2017, 2:21, grif kirjoitti:
> On 10/01/2017 23:40, TT wrote:

>> *ARRIVAL SPOILER* (Huge)
>>
>> Ok, maybe you talked about general criticism by other people. That is
>> of course unwarranted if it's on time travel since every film with
>> that topic has paradoxes, sometimes more obvious sometimes less. I
>> liked how it all tied together in the end, the language was a tool for
>> moving in time...circular symbols. The human being and personal aspect
>> for Adams' character was very good too. I loved some scenes with the
>> ships (pods), great look visually.
>>
>> *SPOILER END*
>>
>> It really is fine science fiction.
>>
>
> I was probably talking about "Sicario" at the time and you might have
> gotten them mixed up.
>
> *Um, Spoilers*
>
> Yes, that was also why I mentioned the "time may not be linear" aspect.
> Some of the criticism I saw about the film assumed that was the case.
> Well, apparently not for the aliens. I also hinted at a palindromic
> aspect of the film when I first talked about it, remember TJT ? :p
>
> *End
>

*BROILERS*

What palindrome? Hannah?
I probably looked at your review VERY quickly since I was afraid of spoilers

*BROILER END*

>
> How can you resist street food ?
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ol9qzDsCCQ
>

Yeah, love the quirkiness of the film. The whole video should be her
dancing behind the counter... better than Mama Cass for sure.

> Speaking about Villeneuve, I hear he may also direct a reboot of "Dune",
> which leads me to a good documentary that I saw recently, "Jodorowsky's
> Dune":
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0cJNR8HEw0
>

That seems interesting.

[TT]

"I became happy because the picture was awful" - lol

[grif]

*Yo spoilers*
Just to make it a bit clearer. Some people are complaining about paradoxes. For them, time is linear. But in the film, the aliens' understanding of time is far beyond ours and, for the aliens, time does not appear to be linear.

The structure of the film itself could be seen as a palindrome. The beginning is the end, the end is the beginning. Kinda like a circle.

*Yo end spoilers*

[TT]

That's pretty neat observation. Indeed. Wonder if it's on purpose...

Btw, just noticed that Arrival has so far gotten 'only' 160m in Box
Office. That's an outrage for film like this when crap such as Batman vs
Superman or Suicide Squad have 800m.

Why is this film only 53rd for 2016?
http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/records/worldwide/2016

Guess the film has to be animation or some tedious franchise extension
to get really big numbers. :(

[grif]

On 11/01/2017 18:30, TT wrote:
>
> Btw, just noticed that Arrival has so far gotten 'only' 160m in Box Office. That's an outrage for film like this when crap such as Batman vs Superman or Suicide Squad have 800m.
>
> Why is this film only 53rd for 2016?
> http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/records/worldwide/2016
>
> Guess the film has to be animation or some tedious franchise extension to get really big numbers. :(

That's actually a good showing for a film that feels like an indie or arthouse type of film. I didn't see any publicity or marketing for "Arrival". It just, well, arrived.

What were your films of 2016 then ?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/best-top-20-films-movies-2016-robbie-collin/
http://www.bfi.org.uk/best-films-2016 (Sight & Sound's list; they actually mention over 50 films but you have to scroll right to the bottom to the 'Film-by-film votes index' to see the full list)

[TT]

Haven't seen most from AFI list. As normal they pick films in some
parallel universe.

[The Rising Tide]

On 2017-01-10, TT <as...@dprk.kp> wrote:
> Here's a bunch of films I've seen, during last month or so... and the
> last thread got too long while discussing ever important matter of
> Theron vs Watts...
>
> -
>
> Arrival (2016)
> ...Intelligent and flawless scifi film with a human angle (Yes Grif, I
> disagree with the story having flaws, everything ties perfectly
> together). Can't really tell much about the story without spoiling it, I
> knew pretty much nothing when going to see it today. All I can tell is
> that it's opposite of action scifi blockbusters such as "Independence
> Day". The pacing was very deliberate most of the film, so don't expect
> flashy action film. Villeneuve's direction very professional and I'd
> argue he's very top director(s) at the moment. Cinematography is great
> looking and CGI is used sparingly or at least with good taste. Amy
> Adams' acting was imo superb and she looked very pretty in her "au
> naturelle" make-up - while Villeneuve's camera gave her lots of
> close-ups. I think seeing the film at cinema adds value to the film,
> mainly some cinematic wide takes with CGI and Amy Adams close-ups
> filling the screen. Not sure how it fares on second viewing when you
> already know the story. Best film of 2016 and must see for true science
> fiction fans. Waiting to see Blade Runner from same director...
>

Out of curiousity---what bittorrent/usenet/vpn combo do you use :-)?

FF

[TT]

https://torrentz2.eu/
https://torrentproject.se/

But older films only.


...and after receiving some letters from copyright trolls about couple
new films I considered usenet binaries but had computer trouble paying
for one service while the other service had paying method through some
shady Ukrainian service/bank.

So currently I'm watching (some) new films from...

http://openloadmovies.net/release/2016/

The site does have some annoying popups though. And can't do subs or
cropping.

[TT]

This is better link for new films...
http://openloadmovies.net/trending/

[Court_1]

On Thursday, January 12, 2017 at 2:16:53 PM UTC-5, TT wrote:

> So currently I'm watching (some) new films from...

Which new films are you currently watching?

[TT]

Well I watched a few... next new film I'll watch is probably 'Sully',
cause it's already as a HD version on that site.

But I'm definitely focused on old films, occasionally filling one from
Oscar favourites if they are yet 'available'.

[Whisper]

For me it's;

Astraweb(usenet)/Tweaknews(usenet block backup)/PureVPN

I haven't used torrents > 10 yrs

[The Rising Tide]

Thanks.

-FF

[The Rising Tide]

Yes, torrents are problematic, even with a vpn.

FF

ps. The key is obviously not to SEED.

[The Rising Tide]

On 2017-01-12, TT <as...@dprk.kp> wrote:

Works well. How is it possible that this site exists?

-FF

[TT]

Let's not tell anyone it does...

I found it by accident.

[TT]

13.1.2017, 22:40, The Rising Tide kirjoitti:
> ps. The key is obviously not to SEED.

Doesn't help at all. copyrighttrolls don't even know how much anyone is
seeding. But if you download something you also send tiny bits of data
in order to get the files. So it's all the same to trolls if you seed
normally or not at all.

One option is not to give a crap about trolls. They risk more going to
court than not doing so.

The other is torrenting older films, it's not profitable for them to
track torrents with only few IPs... and they probably wouldn't even have
a solid case... to even get your address. So I think older films are safe.

[grif]

What happened after your initial threatening email/letter ? Did you get another one ? Or did things just become quiet ?

[TT]

Got like 5 letters in all. Then... nothing.

That's why it's called "copyright TROLLING".

[grif]

What were in the letters if you don't mind me asking ? Were they just threats or something else ?

[TT]

If you don't pay 500 euros now we will sue your ass in commercial court
and you may have to pay the court proceedings which can be 20 000.

So total scare tactics.

I actually shared the file a total of 1/40th of one film (can still see
it from the program). That should make around 10 cents. If I'd be taken
to commercial court I might nail them about it and question how in the
hell did they even get my address for such a small offence. I actually
considered contacting ombudsman about it - it is clearly an illegal
breach of privacy.

[grif]

If they're still after you, "Mr Robot" has the solution:
https://i.imgur.com/WmRwjI3.gifv

Just saying.

[TT]

Seems a bit drastic...
:)

[The Rising Tide]

Yes, I realized that after posting. What did you do when you got those letters?

-FF

ps. I just got Citizen Kane. Will try post a review of some kind.

[The Rising Tide]

On 2017-01-13, TT <as...@dprk.kp> wrote:

Of course :-;

-FF

[Whisper]

In Australia under current laws the most they could sue you for is the
cost of buying the movie, so about $20.

[The Rising Tide]

That's not a bad deal. Isn't there a new law that ISPs have to ban certain
downloading portals?

-FF

[TT]

Some Film Noir...

Key Largo (1948)
..."A man visits his old friend's hotel and finds a gangster running
things. As a hurricane approaches, the two end up confronting each other."
...Fine character study in mostly closed quarters... Bogart in one of
his most convincing roles as a cool headed G.I... E.G. Robinson does his
usual gangster routine with a touch of madness, while Bacall is fitting
as the romantic interest. Also memorable performance from Claire Trevor
as a now alcoholic has-been. Great classic, one of Bogart's best.

8/10

-

Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)
..."While on the telephone, an invalid woman (Stanwyck) overhears what
she thinks is a murder plot and attempts to prevent it."
... Nice thriller with lots of flashbacks and sort of complicated plot.
Burt Lancaster plays the kept-man husband while Stanwyck truly shines as
the rich man's daughter tied to bed and her phone. A must see for
Stanwyck fans.

7/10

Here's a great noirish promo pic:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IpFwFTEJH9A/S_psecd6MxI/AAAAAAAAGVY/u1cDj4fC0e4/s1600/aaaa6.jpg

-

Pickup on South Street (1953)
...Richard Widmark plays a small-time pickpocket who gets involved in a
spy game of cat and mouse after lifting a wrong wallet. Simply brilliant
little small budget film, with hard boiled characters and gritty
atmosphere. Jean Peters plays the femme fatale and carries the film with
her radiant performance, while Thelma Ritter was nominated for Oscar for
hers as the professional "stoolie". What I like about this film most was
the tough love relationship between Widmark and Peters... great
characters and atmosphere all round. Recommended big time and a definite
must see for Film Noir fans. One of the best noirs I've seen.

8/10

-

Niagara (1953)
...Two forces of nature: Niagara Falls and Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn at
her very breast... errr, best. Nice little Hitchcockian thriller with
Marilyn, Jean Peters (entirely different role from 'Pickup') and Cotten
as cuckolded husband. I wouldn't classify this colour film as 'Noir',
although all the others seem to.

7/10

*Film Noir end*

According to IMDB, Film-Noir is currently my highest rated genre. Still
much to see...

-

Bell Book and Candle (1958)
...Middling romcom about a witch (Kim Novak) who falls in love with her
neighbour (James Stewart). Other roles include Jack Lemmon and Elsa
Lanchester. Interesting thing about this film is that it was filmed
simultaneously with 'Vertigo' and starring the same two leads. Well
Vertigo this ain't although the cinematography is pretty good and Kim
Novak is stunning as a modern day New York witch.

6/10

Cool looking movie poster and promo shot:
http://123movies.io/image/380x464/tt0051406.jpg

https://blog.johannaost.com/uploads/medium_434c6fa9-6d20-47be-857b-5105597edd10.jpg

-

Teen Witch (1989)
...Heard great things about this 80s film, it is one of definitive 80s
teen films. Hell it ain't. Robyn Lively plays a girl who dreams about a
football captain in her class and wants to become 'popular' - finds out
that on her 16th birthday her powers awaken. What does she do with her
powers... she becomes most 'popular' girl in the school. For fuck's
sakes... What is it with these American teen films and theme of being
'popular'. The film has one funny scene where she makes the teacher
strip in front of the class... and a bunch of weird corny/cheesy scenes
where everybody suddenly acts like it was a music video. Tries to be
very 80s a few years late, nicely capturing worst of the decade.

4/10

-

Eraserhead (1977)
...Total crap. Visually good looking b/w cinematography and succeeds on
being different while trying very hard to be so... but a turd is a turd
no matter how you package it. I liked the mutant baby and the
neighbouring sloozy, but that's it. If cinematography and strangeness is
what you want, then skip this and see Welles' 'The Trial' instead. My
conclusion is that David Lynch is the most overrated 'modern' director.

4/10

[Gracchus]

On Sunday, January 15, 2017 at 11:05:29 AM UTC-8, TT wrote:

> Pickup on South Street (1953)
> ...Richard Widmark plays a small-time pickpocket who gets involved in a
> spy game of cat and mouse after lifting a wrong wallet. Simply brilliant
> little small budget film, with hard boiled characters and gritty
> atmosphere. Jean Peters plays the femme fatale and carries the film with
> her radiant performance, while Thelma Ritter was nominated for Oscar for
> hers as the professional "stoolie". What I like about this film most was
> the tough love relationship between Widmark and Peters... great
> characters and atmosphere all round. Recommended big time and a definite
> must see for Film Noir fans. One of the best noirs I've seen.

> 8/10

This is an early Sam Fuller film. I really like it too--classic noir. All actors good, especially Thelma Ritter.

> Eraserhead (1977)
> ...Total crap. Visually good looking b/w cinematography and succeeds on
> being different while trying very hard to be so... but a turd is a turd
> no matter how you package it. I liked the mutant baby and the
> neighbouring sloozy, but that's it. If cinematography and strangeness is
> what you want, then skip this and see Welles' 'The Trial' instead. My
> conclusion is that David Lynch is the most overrated 'modern' director.

> 4/10

IMO his best films are excellent, not "overrated" at all. But some, "Eraserhead" included, do nothing for me. It's been many years since I've seen it, but my recollection was that it comes across as an "experimental" film like Warhol might have done. And maybe that was Lynch's purpose at the time.

[grif]

These are the films I liked the most that were released in the UK in 2016:

"Your Name" (subtitled version is the one to watch; the dubbed English female voice sounds too jarring)
Treasure the experience. Dreams fade away after you wake up.

"Arrival"
Dr. Louise Banks: Non-zero-sum game!

"The Assassin"
The King of Kophen's bluebird failed to sing for three years.
One day, the Queen remarked, "Birds sing only to their own kind, set the bird before a mirror."
The king heeded her advice. The bluebird saw its own image.
It sang of its sadness. It danced until it expired.

"Kubo and the Two Strings"
If you must blink, do it now.

"The Nice Guys"
Holland March: Munich.
Jackson Healy: What ?
Holland March: Guy without his balls. A Munich.
Jackson Healy: Munich, is a city in Germany, Munich. München.
Holland March: You sure?
Jackson Healy: My dad was stationed there.
Holland March: Right. Hitler only had one ball.

"Hunt for the Wilderpeople"
Ricky Baker: I'll never stop running!
Paula: Yeah, and I'll never stop chasing you - I'm relentless, I'm like the Terminator.
Ricky Baker: I'm more like the Terminator than you!
Paula: I said it first, you're more like Sarah Connor, and in the first movie too, before she could do chinups.

"The Witch"
Black Phillip: Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?

"Sing Street"
Brendan: No woman can truly love a man who listens to Phil Collins.

"Queen of Katwe"
Robert Katende: [to Phiona] Sometimes the place you are used to is not the place you belong. You belong where you believe you belong. Where is that for you?

"Tale of Tales"
Necromancer: You want a child? A violent desire such as yours can only be satisfied with violence.

"Love and Friendship"
Lady Susan?
Lady Susan Vernon.
How dare you address me, sir.
- But, Lady Susan...
- Begone, sir, or I will have you whipped.
- Outrageous.
- Have you never met him?
No. I know him well. I would never speak to a stranger like that.

[TT]

15.1.2017, 21:23, Gracchus kirjoitti:
> On Sunday, January 15, 2017 at 11:05:29 AM UTC-8, TT wrote:
>
>> Pickup on South Street (1953)
>> ...Richard Widmark plays a small-time pickpocket who gets involved in a
>> spy game of cat and mouse after lifting a wrong wallet. Simply brilliant
>> little small budget film, with hard boiled characters and gritty
>> atmosphere. Jean Peters plays the femme fatale and carries the film with
>> her radiant performance, while Thelma Ritter was nominated for Oscar for
>> hers as the professional "stoolie". What I like about this film most was
>> the tough love relationship between Widmark and Peters... great
>> characters and atmosphere all round. Recommended big time and a definite
>> must see for Film Noir fans. One of the best noirs I've seen.
>
>> 8/10
>
> This is an early Sam Fuller film. I really like it too--classic noir. All actors good, especially Thelma Ritter.
>
>

Ritter was very good, but I still liked Peters' femme fatale most.
Always liked Widmark.

It has all the noir elements... it sort of lives in its own noir world
where everyone seems damaged one way or another.... not because they are
inherently evil/bad but because of the environment and circumstances.
Even the cops are spoilt. Not often you see a woman smacked around like
that as you see in this one, and it feels like normal accepted behaviour
in this world. They did go a bit overboard with the commie thing,
although it may be close to the truth in that era.

I think with further viewings this could become one of my all time
favourites, definitely favourite noirs.

>> Eraserhead (1977)
>> ...Total crap. Visually good looking b/w cinematography and succeeds on
>> being different while trying very hard to be so... but a turd is a turd
>> no matter how you package it. I liked the mutant baby and the
>> neighbouring sloozy, but that's it. If cinematography and strangeness is
>> what you want, then skip this and see Welles' 'The Trial' instead. My
>> conclusion is that David Lynch is the most overrated 'modern' director.
>
>> 4/10
>
> IMO his best films are excellent, not "overrated" at all. But some, "Eraserhead" included, do nothing for me. It's been many years since I've seen it, but my recollection was that it comes across as an "experimental" film like Warhol might have done. And maybe that was Lynch's purpose at the time.
>

I'm sure that was the purpose, and also being 'cool' as Lynch seems to
try in his films. But the film is still garbage Imo he has couple good
films, mainly Mulholland Dr. and Elephant Man but nothing brilliant...
combined with rubbish such as Dune, Eraserhead, Wild at Heart...

People talk about him as if he were Kubrick, Leone or Polanski...
What he does is make 'cool' movies for teens and young adults who then
call him genius and his mediocre attempts as masterpieces. There.

[TT]

I thought Witch, Assassin and Arrival were very good. Need to see some
Oscar nominees still before telling the best films of 2016.

[Guypers]

If you like old films, watch A man for all seasons, with Paul Scofield, The Train, with Burt L and Paul S, two fine films!

Widmark, is the male Kim Novak, wood, more wood and woodest!

[TT]

Seen both, 'A Man..' is imo good while The Train is great.

> Widmark, is the male Kim Novak, wood, more wood and woodest!
>

Ooookay.

I found another pearl of wisdom from the interwebs:

"And Woody Allen, the press covers his movies with the same zeal that
they do when the pandas are screwing, and they're both about as
interesting to watch."

[grif]

I didn't include films like "The Revenant", "Spotlight", "Hateful Eight", "The Big Short" which were released early in the UK in 2016. I probably should have, but because they were already nominated in the previous Oscars, I just left them out.

[Gracchus]

Lynch is 70 years old and has been making films for over 35 years. I doubt very much if much of his audience consists of teens or young adults. He's inconsistent for sure. Some of his films are throwaways. Others are very good and have lasting power. But if they don't connect with you personally, not much to debate about other than "yes he is/no he isn't." There are other esteemed directors I feel the same way about as you do with Lynch.

[TT]

15.1.2017, 23:20, Gracchus kirjoitti:
> On Sunday, January 15, 2017 at 11:51:26 AM UTC-8, TT wrote:
>> 15.1.2017, 21:23, Gracchus kirjoitti:
>
>>>> Eraserhead (1977)
>>>> ...Total crap. Visually good looking b/w cinematography and succeeds on
>>>> being different while trying very hard to be so... but a turd is a turd
>>>> no matter how you package it. I liked the mutant baby and the
>>>> neighbouring sloozy, but that's it. If cinematography and strangeness is
>>>> what you want, then skip this and see Welles' 'The Trial' instead. My
>>>> conclusion is that David Lynch is the most overrated 'modern' director.
>>>
>>>> 4/10
>>>
>>> IMO his best films are excellent, not "overrated" at all. But some, "Eraserhead" included, do nothing for me. It's been many years since I've seen it, but my recollection was that it comes across as an "experimental" film like Warhol might have done. And maybe that was Lynch's purpose at the time.
>
>> I'm sure that was the purpose, and also being 'cool' as Lynch seems to
>> try in his films. But the film is still garbage Imo he has couple good
>> films, mainly Mulholland Dr. and Elephant Man but nothing brilliant...
>> combined with rubbish such as Dune, Eraserhead, Wild at Heart...
>
>> People talk about him as if he were Kubrick, Leone or Polanski...
>> What he does is make 'cool' movies for teens and young adults who then
>> call him genius and his mediocre attempts as masterpieces. There.
>
> Lynch is 70 years old and has been making films for over 35 years. I doubt very much if much of his audience consists of teens or young adults.

True but that's probably because the teens grew up.

> He's inconsistent for sure. Some of his films are throwaways. Others are very good and have lasting power. But if they don't connect with you personally, not much to debate about other than "yes he is/no he isn't." There are other esteemed directors I feel the same way about as you do with Lynch.
>

How many great, or even good films in 35 years... not many.

I give him that his films are a bit different with somewhat surreal
stories/characters. But that doesn't always equal good.

[Court_1]

On Sunday, January 15, 2017 at 2:05:29 PM UTC-5, TT wrote:

> Niagara (1953)
> ...Two forces of nature: Niagara Falls and Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn at
> her very breast... errr, best. Nice little Hitchcockian thriller with
> Marilyn, Jean Peters (entirely different role from 'Pickup') and Cotten
> as cuckolded husband. I wouldn't classify this colour film as 'Noir',
> although all the others seem to.
>
> 7/10

Oh dear. How on earth could you give this film a 7/10? I saw "Niagara" not that long ago and I found it to be pretty bad on every level, i.e. poor story which is all over the place, poor acting performances especially by Cotten whose performance is way over the top. Monroe's performance is completely forgettable. She was so much better in other movies. You never get a sense of why the main characters Monroe and Cotten are in the situation they are in or how they got to where they are. You never get to care about the characters and what happens to them. This is billed as a thriller but there is no suspense or thrills. All characters are annoying and poorly written. I would never recommend this movie to anybody. A complete miss IMO.

[Gracchus]

Yes, considering how long he's been around, his ratio isn't that good. Nor has he even made many total films.

IMO "The Elephant Man," "Blue Velvet," "Mulholland Drive," and "Twin Peaks" (first season at least) were all winners.

"Eraserhead," "Wild at Heart" and "Lost Highway" didn't do much for me. "The Straight Story" was ok. "Dune" was unwatchable. "Inland Empire" was an interminable tangle of weirdness. I guess he's done a bunch of short films, but I haven't seen any of them.

> I give him that his films are a bit different with somewhat surreal
> stories/characters. But that doesn't always equal good.

Not automatically, of course not. I certainly wouldn't put Lynch in a class of achievement with Polanski, but for me his best stuff is still powerful. The better films deal well with the language of dreams and the unconscious. And Angelo Badalamenti's musical scores match up perfectly with Lynch's visuals.

[TT]

I wondered a bit between 6 and 7... what I think were contributing
factors to going for 7 were...

-Marilyn in red dress, never looked better. Jean Peters
-Serious role from Marilyn, not comedy
-nice scenery, good pacing
-some really good scenes inside the church with Cotten
-Fine finale
-Hithcockian feel

I didn't think it had any troubling flaws really. True that they didn't
flesh out the background why Marilyn's character decided to do what she
did... but the scenes with Cotten where he was exasperated with his
floozy (I apparently learned a new word watching Noir) of a wife
(Marilyn) felt quite real to me... this would be a woman who can do that
to a man. Really. So I found Cotten actually being very credible in his
role, as he usually is. Not great film but certainly entertaining enough
and very nice to look at for all kinds of scenery...

Marilyn made Jean Peters look like Plain Jane in comparison, although
Peters wasn't half as much hot in her good housewife role as she was in
'Pickup...'. Also, I liked in the story how this strange woman (Peters)
got involved in the scheme by chance... that kind of made more
background info on Marilyn/Cotten pair unnecessary since the viewer's
sympathy was on Peters and her husband instead of the other pair.


So that.

http://www.cinemagraphe.com/_imagery/marilyn-monroe/marilyn-monroe-niagara-3.jpg

https://alisonkerr.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/marilyn-4.jpg

[TT]

I agree the first three are his best films, that I've seen. Never got
into Twin Peaks although it was the rave at the time, everyone seemed to
be watching it except I.

> "Eraserhead," "Wild at Heart" and "Lost Highway" didn't do much for me. "The Straight Story" was ok. "Dune" was unwatchable. "Inland Empire" was an interminable tangle of weirdness. I guess he's done a bunch of short films, but I haven't seen any of them.
>

Yup, we know basically 3 good films (not great, imo) and bunch of pretty
bad and a bunch you never even hear about.

>> I give him that his films are a bit different with somewhat surreal
>> stories/characters. But that doesn't always equal good.
>
> Not automatically, of course not. I certainly wouldn't put Lynch in a class of achievement with Polanski, but for me his best stuff is still powerful.

Ok. Some seem to think he's some sort genius...

> The better films deal well with the language of dreams and the unconscious. And Angelo Badalamenti's musical scores match up perfectly with Lynch's visuals.
>

If he composed for Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks then yes. And thanks for
your mature approach to my Lynch-venting. :)

[Gracchus]

On Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at 2:41:24 PM UTC-8, TT wrote:

> Arrival (2016)
> ...Intelligent and flawless scifi film with a human angle (Yes Grif, I
> disagree with the story having flaws, everything ties perfectly
> together). Can't really tell much about the story without spoiling it, I
> knew pretty much nothing when going to see it today. All I can tell is
> that it's opposite of action scifi blockbusters such as "Independence
> Day". The pacing was very deliberate most of the film, so don't expect
> flashy action film. Villeneuve's direction very professional and I'd
> argue he's very top director(s) at the moment. Cinematography is great
> looking and CGI is used sparingly or at least with good taste. Amy
> Adams' acting was imo superb and she looked very pretty in her "au
> naturelle" make-up - while Villeneuve's camera gave her lots of
> close-ups. I think seeing the film at cinema adds value to the film,
> mainly some cinematic wide takes with CGI and Amy Adams close-ups
> filling the screen. Not sure how it fares on second viewing when you
> already know the story. Best film of 2016 and must see for true science
> fiction fans. Waiting to see Blade Runner from same director...

> 8/10, minimum

Finally saw this and really enjoyed it as well. Intelligent and elegiac. Already knew Villeneuve was a god, but "Enemy" + "Arrival" cements it. :)

[TT]

Confirmation bias?

But yes intelligent and elegant it was, nice change of pace to modern
action packed films... many have compared it to Contact 1997, originally
written by Carl Sagan.

[Gracchus]

Probably not confirmation bias because I was disappointed in his previous film, "Sicario." A lot of critics liked it though, and it was being talked up as an Oscar contender that fizzled by the time nominations came out. Not only is "Arrival" decidedly better, it's getting more recognition. Villeneuve is among the DGA nominees, so a decent chance the Academy weenies will follow suit.

[TT]

I certainly hope it gets nominated and wins some Oscars. I thought
cinematography and Best Actress & Best picture would be possible... if
they can give awards to scifi...

Got nominated for score and Adams' acting at Globes, lots of nominations
for British BAFTA. But I have a feeling Oscars follow La La Land hype...
or whatever Indie 'gems'...

[TT]

La La Land (2016)

A story about two people finding each other while the life and their
dreams interfere.

The cinematography is VERY good, Emma Stone is very good too. The story
and Gosling however are very bland... they apparently forgot to write a
story and replaced it with visually good song and dance numbers. There
is zero chemistry between Stone and Gosling, and without the hype I
doubt I would have watched this to the end. The ending is somewhat
unusual though and saves the movie, almost. A positive would be that
Hollywood tries to revive the musical genre... now we only need good
songs and story...

The very beginning is good, as is the last 15 minutes... just too bad
this film had to have full film's worth of middle. It does have one
hummable tune, which sticks with you mainly because it's (over) played
so much.

5/10

I think I'll watch Sound of Music for comparison tomorrow.

[Court_1]

Oh dear. If you gave the movie a 5/10 that either means I would give it a 2/10 or an 8/10! :)

[Whisper]

On 18/01/2017 11:29 AM, TT wrote:
> La La Land (2016)
>
> A story about two people finding each other while the life and their
> dreams interfere.
>
> The cinematography is VERY good, Emma Stone is very good too. The story
> and Gosling however are very bland...

He could play Borg imo.

[TT]

There's some same look, yes. I do think he looks like a dog (literally)
and can't act though.

[TT]

Ha-ha. Well do you find Gosling dreamy? I think he can't really act.

[Whisper]

Perfect fit for Borg.

[Court_1]

On Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 4:17:08 AM UTC-5, TT wrote:

> Ha-ha. Well do you find Gosling dreamy?

Nope. He doesn't do a thing for me.

>I think he can't really act.

I don't think he's a very good actor either. He has about two expressions.

[TT]

That's one more than Forest Whitaker nowadays. :)
(He was SO bad in both Rogue One and Arrival)

[Gracchus]

Same as Tom Cruise then! (and one more than Nicholas Cage)

[soccerfan777]

LOL... I think Cage might be better than Cruise.

[TT]

Cage and Gosling are very good at showing long face.

[Gracchus]

Yeah, Whitaker was not well-cast as the Colonel. He delivered all his lines in a monotone and couldn't even stand up straight as a career military man would. Whitaker was "Arrival's" John Dall.

[TT]

Gracchus hasn't seen Cruise's tour de force... SHOW ME THE MONEY!!! :-P

[TT]

18.1.2017, 22:46, Gracchus kirjoitti:
> Whitaker was "Arrival's" John Dall.

lol

Well Dall was pretty good in Rope.

[Gracchus]

He was ok in "Gun Crazy" too. I really was referring to his horrible "Spartacus" performance. The one false note in the film, just as Whitaker was in "Arrival."

[grif]

I can kinda see why Gio likes Gosling. I'd only seen him in "The Place Beyond the Pines" where he doesn't really say much, but just looks intense. I thought Gosling was pretty funny in "The Nice Guys", surprisingly so.

Whitaker in "Rogue One" must have thought he was in "Blue Velvet".

*the spoilers strike back*

Still, I never understood the appeal of Darth Vader until the closing scenes.

*spoilers *

[TT]

Yup, I got that.

Coincidentally... Spartacus, Rope and Gun Crazy are the only films with
Dall that I've rated. He didn't star in many films. Got Oscar nomination
for his first role in 'The Corn is Green', a Bette Davis film which I
haven't seen.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037614/reference

Whitaker I recall was good in 'Ghost Dog' and perfect fit for the
hustler in Colour of Money which starred another acting legend - Tom
Cruise... the circle has closed.

[TT]

18.1.2017, 22:54, grif kirjoitti:
> On 18/01/2017 20:42, TT wrote:
>> 18.1.2017, 22:30, Court_1 kirjoitti:
>>> On Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 4:17:08 AM UTC-5, TT wrote:
>>>
>>>> Ha-ha. Well do you find Gosling dreamy?
>>>
>>> Nope. He doesn't do a thing for me.
>>>
>>>
>>>> I think he can't really act.
>>>
>>> I don't think he's a very good actor either. He has about two
>>> expressions.
>>>
>>
>> That's one more than Forest Whitaker nowadays. :)
>> (He was SO bad in both Rogue One and Arrival)
>
> I can kinda see why Gio likes Gosling. I'd only seen him in "The Place
> Beyond the Pines" where he doesn't really say much, but just looks
> intense. I thought Gosling was pretty funny in "The Nice Guys",
> surprisingly so.
>

Well Gio thinks 'Twilight' actors are great...

> Whitaker in "Rogue One" must have thought he was in "Blue Velvet".
>
> *the spoilers strike back*
>
> Still, I never understood the appeal of Darth Vader until the closing
> scenes.
>
> *spoilers *

Cool. I also thought the Vader scene was pretty nice.

[Gracchus]

Yeah, Whitaker was perfect for playing the pool hustler. The scene was memorable. I like how he kept offering to give Eddie his money back, knowing that Eddie's pride would never allow him to take it. I've liked Whitaker in other things too. First problem with him in "Arrival" is simple miscasting. OF course, these days having at least one "person of color" in a film is obligatory, and usually as an authority figure. But couldn't they have found a more fitting actor for it? Second problem was that his performance was just crap, and I don't know why. He was mumbling his lines and his expression never changed. Too bad, but it still didn't hurt the film because his character was mainly a placeholder anyway. The sole function was to light a fire under the two central characters.

Incidentally, the day after I watched "Arrival," I read the story it was based on ("The Story of Your Life"). Comparing them was interesting, and then I listened to an enlightening podcast interview with the screenwriter. The story is definitely worth reading.

[Court_1]

Whitaker was so good in The Last King of Scotland. What happened?

[Gracchus]

On Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 1:05:57 PM UTC-8, TT wrote:
> 18.1.2017, 22:54, grif kirjoitti:

> > I can kinda see why Gio likes Gosling. I'd only seen him in "The Place
> > Beyond the Pines" where he doesn't really say much, but just looks
> > intense. I thought Gosling was pretty funny in "The Nice Guys",
> > surprisingly so.

> Well Gio thinks 'Twilight' actors are great...

Geez, talk about having one expression. Kristen Stewart has about one-third of an expression.

[Court_1]

Cage used to be good--15-20 years ago. I think he's a junkie mess now addicted to drugs. I still love his performance in Leaving Las Vegas.

[TT]

18.1.2017, 23:11, Gracchus kirjoitti:
> On Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 1:02:04 PM UTC-8, TT wrote:
>> 18.1.2017, 22:54, Gracchus kirjoitti:
>>> On Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 12:49:10 PM UTC-8, TT wrote:
>>>> 18.1.2017, 22:46, Gracchus kirjoitti:
>>>>> Whitaker was "Arrival's" John Dall.
>>>>
>>>> lol
>>>>
>>>> Well Dall was pretty good in Rope.
>>>
>>> He was ok in "Gun Crazy" too. I really was referring to his horrible "Spartacus" performance. The one false note in the film, just as Whitaker was in "Arrival."
>>>
>>
>> Yup, I got that.
>>
>> Coincidentally... Spartacus, Rope and Gun Crazy are the only films with
>> Dall that I've rated. He didn't star in many films. Got Oscar nomination
>> for his first role in 'The Corn is Green', a Bette Davis film which I
>> haven't seen.
>> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037614/reference
>>
>> Whitaker I recall was good in 'Ghost Dog' and perfect fit for the
>> hustler in Colour of Money which starred another acting legend - Tom
>> Cruise... the circle has closed.
>
> Yeah, Whitaker was perfect for playing the pool hustler. The scene was memorable. I like how he kept offering to give Eddie his money back, knowing that Eddie's pride would never allow him to take it. I've liked Whitaker in other things too. First problem with him in "Arrival" is simple miscasting. OF course, these days having at least one "person of color" in a film is obligatory, and usually as an authority figure. But couldn't they have found a more fitting actor for it? Second problem was that his performance was just crap, and I don't know why. He was mumbling his lines and his expression never changed. Too bad, but it still didn't hurt the film because his character was mainly a placeholder anyway. The sole function was to light a fire under the two central characters.
>

Could have been a race thing yes.

Renner, quite surprisingly, fit the role of cool scientist pretty well.

> Incidentally, the day after I watched "Arrival," I read the story it was based on ("The Story of Your Life"). Comparing them was interesting, and then I listened to an enlightening podcast interview with the screenwriter. The story is definitely worth reading.
>

Thanks for the recommendation. I was actually wondering today if the
short story would be worth a try.

[Court_1]

No he wasn't! He was terrible in Rope and overacted all the way through IMO.

[TT]

18.1.2017, 23:11, Court_1 kirjoitti:
> On Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 3:42:18 PM UTC-5, TT wrote:
>> 18.1.2017, 22:30, Court_1 kirjoitti:
>>> On Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 4:17:08 AM UTC-5, TT wrote:
>>>
>>>> Ha-ha. Well do you find Gosling dreamy?
>>>
>>> Nope. He doesn't do a thing for me.
>>>
>>>
>>>> I think he can't really act.
>>>
>>> I don't think he's a very good actor either. He has about two expressions.
>>>
>>
>> That's one more than Forest Whitaker nowadays. :)
>> (He was SO bad in both Rogue One and Arrival)
>
> Whitaker was so good in The Last King of Scotland. What happened?
>

Electric shocks (see: 'Color of Money')

[Court_1]

On Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 4:05:57 PM UTC-5, TT wrote:

> Well Gio thinks 'Twilight' actors are great...

She's a teenager. What do you expect. She'll change her mind as she matures.

[TT]

Well I'm glad we got that straightened out. :-P

[TT]

She's already matured, I bet she's hot stuff nowadays. Brazilian women...

[Court_1]

How old could she be? 22 or 23? She'll change her opinion about a lot of things between 23-43. We know zilch when we are 23.

[Court_1]

On Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 4:23:39 PM UTC-5, TT wrote:

> > No he wasn't! He was terrible in Rope and overacted all the way through IMO.
> >
>
> Well I'm glad we got that straightened out. :-P

Sorry. Rope was a disappointment for me on so many levels. Not a top tier Hitchcock film for me.

[TT]

I wasn't necessarily talking about her psyche...

She was really cute as a teenager (she had her pic up for a while at
menstennisforums)... and I'd imagine she's a real Brazilian beauty now.

But I digress...

[soccerfan777]

What???? I loved it. It was slow paced. But it was a well-made suspense movie.

[grif]

You are not going to get a unanimous consensus on subjective matters like film. "Arrival" looked like a good candidate until I noticed this:
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rec.sport.tennis/Ndng47CaU5Y/eRqutsUyDwAJ

[Court_1]

On Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 4:56:31 PM UTC-5, soccerfan777 wrote:

> > Sorry. Rope was a disappointment for me on so many levels. Not a top tier Hitchcock film for me.
>
> What???? I loved it. It was slow paced. But it was a well-made suspense movie.

I don't think it was a well-made suspense film at all. I thought it was dull and silly. Hitchcock himself thought Rope was an experiment that didn't work. I love Hitchcock films but this one isn't top tier IMO. People seem very divided about Rope.

[soccerfan777]

There will never be a consensus on anything. I know people who think Rear Window was boring overrated garbage.

Rope is in the top 10 here.
http://www.indiewire.com/2015/08/alfred-hitchcocks-top-25-films-ranked-184715/

I like 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 19 and 24 from that list.

They at least got #1 correct. I never get the big fuss about Vertigo. I thought Kim Novak was awful. Did not like The Birds either. Tippi Hedren cannot act. I think after Grace Kelly left him, Hitchcock stopped using good actresses.

[TT]

19.1.2017, 5:00, soccerfan777 kirjoitti:
> Tippi Hedren cannot act.

Yes she can, try Marnie. As does Kim Novak, try Vertigo.

[Whisper]

On 19/01/2017 7:30 AM, Court_1 wrote:
> On Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 4:17:08 AM UTC-5, TT wrote:
>
>> Ha-ha. Well do you find Gosling dreamy?
>
> Nope. He doesn't do a thing for me.
>
>
>> I think he can't really act.
>
> I don't think he's a very good actor either. He has about two expressions.
>

The only thing I liked him in is 'The Driver'.

[Whisper]

On 19/01/2017 7:44 AM, TT wrote:
> 18.1.2017, 22:42, Gracchus kirjoitti:

>> On Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 12:30:54 PM UTC-8, Court_1 wrote:
>>> On Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 4:17:08 AM UTC-5, TT wrote:
>>>
>>>> Ha-ha. Well do you find Gosling dreamy?
>>>
>>> Nope. He doesn't do a thing for me.
>>>
>>>
>>>> I think he can't really act.
>>>
>>> I don't think he's a very good actor either. He has about two
>>> expressions.
>>

>> Same as Tom Cruise then! (and one more than Nicholas Cage)
>>
>

> Cage and Gosling are very good at showing long face.


So was Mr Ed & Steffi Graf.

[soccerfan777]

I did not like Kim Novak's "acting" in Vertigo.

[Guypers]

On Thursday, January 19, 2017 at 11:55:59 AM UTC-5, soccerfan777 wrote:
> I did not like Kim Novak's "acting" in Vertigo.

It is called WOODEN! Awful, Theron is a better actress!!

[Court_1]

We've gone over this topic and all have different ideas about which Hitchcock films were the greatest. Personally, I loved Vertigo and I didn't think Kim Novak was awful in it. I also liked The Birds.

It's interesting that the list you posted put Notorious as #1. I have no problem with that as I loved Notorious. I don't agree with Strangers on a Train, Spellbound and Rope as top ten Hitchcock films. I would place Rebecca as higher on the list. I think I would probably put Psycho as #1 but it's so difficult to decide the exact order with about a dozen Hitchcock films as they are all so excellent for different reasons.

[soccerfan777]

I am a bigger fan of his 40s films than the 50s and 60s ones. I think he used less flash in story-telling back in the 40s and I kind of liked that! Some of them even resembled film-noir (Rebecca, Lifeboat and Shadow Of A Doubt for example). The 40s movies were generally darker!

[Gracchus]

On Tuesday, January 17, 2017 at 4:29:40 PM UTC-8, TT wrote:
> La La Land (2016)

> A story about two people finding each other while the life and their
> dreams interfere.
>
> The cinematography is VERY good, Emma Stone is very good too. The story
> and Gosling however are very bland... they apparently forgot to write a
> story and replaced it with visually good song and dance numbers. There
> is zero chemistry between Stone and Gosling, and without the hype I
> doubt I would have watched this to the end. The ending is somewhat
> unusual though and saves the movie, almost. A positive would be that
> Hollywood tries to revive the musical genre... now we only need good
> songs and story...
>
> The very beginning is good, as is the last 15 minutes... just too bad
> this film had to have full film's worth of middle. It does have one
> hummable tune, which sticks with you mainly because it's (over) played
> so much.
>
> 5/10
>

I watched "La La Land" today. Liked it a bit more than you did, but it's still not the bombshell critics are presenting it as. I agree with you that:

*cinematography is excellent

*Gosling is a dud. No match for Stone or her enormous eyes. Was watching him in the scene where they have a big argument, and he delivered zero. Couldn't even be believably pissed-off or conflicted.

* a bit thin on story

* ended with style

I enjoyed the jazz a lot and some of the songs delivered in solo or duo scenes. Thought the larger-scale 40s-style song-and-dance stuff didn't work as well. Some of the songs sounded like melody was improvised on the spot (not a good thing).

[TT]

23.1.2017, 4:09, Gracchus kirjoitti:
> On Tuesday, January 17, 2017 at 4:29:40 PM UTC-8, TT wrote:
>> La La Land (2016)
>
>> A story about two people finding each other while the life and their
>> dreams interfere.
>>
>> The cinematography is VERY good, Emma Stone is very good too. The story
>> and Gosling however are very bland... they apparently forgot to write a
>> story and replaced it with visually good song and dance numbers. There
>> is zero chemistry between Stone and Gosling, and without the hype I
>> doubt I would have watched this to the end. The ending is somewhat
>> unusual though and saves the movie, almost. A positive would be that
>> Hollywood tries to revive the musical genre... now we only need good
>> songs and story...
>>
>> The very beginning is good, as is the last 15 minutes... just too bad
>> this film had to have full film's worth of middle. It does have one
>> hummable tune, which sticks with you mainly because it's (over) played
>> so much.
>>
>> 5/10
>>
>
> I watched "La La Land" today. Liked it a bit more than you did, but it's still not the bombshell critics are presenting it as.

I understand if people like it more than I... but 93/100 on Metacritic,
with 53 reviews... ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?

Who paid the critics? Talk about hype sensitive industry...

> I agree with you that:
>
> *cinematography is excellent
>
> *Gosling is a dud. No match for Stone or her enormous eyes. Was watching him in the scene where they have a big argument, and he delivered zero. Couldn't even be believably pissed-off or conflicted.
>

On average the two main leads' eyes were of normal size.

> * a bit thin on story
>
> * ended with style
>
> I enjoyed the jazz a lot and some of the songs delivered in solo or duo scenes. Thought the larger-scale 40s-style song-and-dance stuff didn't work as well. Some of the songs sounded like melody was improvised on the spot (not a good thing).
>

Watched SOUND OF MUSIC and WEST SIDE STORY for comparison (and had not
rated them)... both were great looking visually and the songs were
better. This chick Julie Andrews can really sing... Natalie Wood's
singing was dubbed (which wasn't obvious from the film apart from it
being 'too good') but I think she never looked more beautiful.

The stories were so-so. A bit too much singing on WSS for my taste while
SOM story dragged a bit in the middle.

Both films are 10/10 as musicals, but not exactly for my taste. Feels
wrong but I rated them both a 7...

-

Cinema doesn't get more legendary and better than the first 5 minutes of
Sound of Music... Let's see if my upload passes the youtube censorship
and for how long...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FON7aMlKQM