New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

[Kepler]

Re: New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

I recorded the Sergio Leone/Eastwood man with no name trilogy today. I have watched Clint since I can remember (not only is my dad a huge fan but he's a spittin Doppleganger) but we all have classics that we've watched and classics that we've "watched" and there's a distict difference. I am only part-way through "For a Few Dollars More" but I've gained another level of appreciation for the films than I had before if that seems even possible given when they were made. Truly remarkable and they have far more depth than a cheap glance may provide.

Agree completely. If you haven't had a chance, also watch "Once Upon a Time in the West." Extremely complicated and interesting movie.

Fun fact: Sergio Leone turned down "The Godfather." That would have been something.

 

[Kepler]

Re: New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

Too bad he had to rip off Akira Kirosawa for "A Fistful Of Dollars."

TCM just had Yojimbo on. It's a very, very, very strange movie.

 

[Kepler]

Re: New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

I just watched Stanley Kubrick's Lolita. You can really tell the era in which it was made on a couple accounts.

That movie pisses me off. There are movies where you get annoyed because great material is mangled by an inappropriate director, but that was a case where Kubrick was a fantastic choice, but he got everything wrong. Compare Visconti's Death in Venice, which has a similar psychological "inner story" and was executed perfectly (warning: do not watch this movie if you like action. It makes My Dinner with Andre look like a Tarantino flick.)

I'd like to have seen Mike Nichols take a crack at Lolita.

 

[St. Clown]

Re: New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

That movie pisses me off. There are movies where you get annoyed because great material is mangled by an inappropriate director, but that was a case where Kubrick was a fantastic choice, but he got everything wrong. Compare Visconti's Death in Venice, which has a similar psychological "inner story" and was executed perfectly (warning: do not watch this movie if you like action. It makes My Dinner with Andre look like a Tarantino flick.)

I'd like to have seen Mike Nichols take a crack at Lolita.

What I got from the movie is that Kubrick either hates people or sexual thoughts. I don't think he mangled it entirely, but he doesn't seem to like the characters and that comes through in almost every single action on screen, which made it tough for me to watch at times. It was sold as a dark comedy, and that hurts it to some degree too, just in the way that even dark comedy has changed over the past 50-60 years.

I did like what felt like a little bit of an homage to Citizen Kane with beginning at the end and coming around full circle. I know other movies do that, but this one just had that same sort of feel as Kane.

 

[Kepler]

Re: New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

What I got from the movie is that Kubrick either hates people or sexual thoughts. I don't think he mangled it entirely, but he doesn't seem to like the characters and that comes through in almost every single action on screen, which made it tough for me to watch at times.

Well, to be fair nobody in the book comes off very well, either.

It's ironic because Nabokov himself loved people and life and freedom. The story is about the negation of all those things: corruption and self-delusion and possession -- I always liked the idea of "the description of an abduction from the point of view of the abductor"). HH is so squirrely and evasive that it's basically impossible to portray him in all his undependable narrator glory -- the actor would have to undercut himself constantly. And there's no way to be her -- the ideal movie probably would never even show her. So all that's left is the easy things to portray: the creepiness and the obsession.

I wonder if you could do it with the genders reversed? That might detoxify it enough.

Anyway, it's still on the table for a great director to make a worthy film someday (along with most of Shakespeare).

 

[geezer]

Re: New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

I watched the new True Grit again (and enjoyed it even more than the first time - I love the language they use) and have a new favorite line I'll be awaiting my chance to put into use: "He not only does not cease to talk but he spills the banks of English."

 

[SteveP]

Re: New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

We saw Expendables 2 yesterday. The short and sweet of it is that it's not as good as 1, despite the addition of Chuck Norris and more face time for Arnold and Bruce.

But, as Mrs. P put it, any movie in which Van Damme dies is a good movie.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

I watched Hanna last weekend. It didn't really hold my interest. I suppose it would be good if you're really into that kind of movie, or if you have a thing for teenage girls, but I don't think its worth the time if you don't.

 

[Kepler]

Re: New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

I watched Hanna last weekend. It didn't really hold my interest. I suppose it would be good if you're really into that kind of movie, or if you have a thing for teenage girls, but I don't think its worth the time if you don't.

By that kind of movie I'm guessing you mean "art film"? I thought it worked well as that. It was marketed as an action movie and that was stupid -- it isn't.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

By that kind of movie I'm guessing you mean "art film"? I thought it worked well as that. It was marketed as an action movie and that was stupid -- it isn't.

I didn't really think of it as an art film either, I can't place what it is, because you're right, it shouldn't have been marketed as an action movie. It was almost like a hybrid between art film and action movie, or art film people make an action movie. Whatever it was, I didn't think it worked, because it just didn't hold my attention. (and I'm not someone that needs flashy special effects and non-stop action to hold my attention)

 

[SanTropez]

Re: New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is still one of my all time favorite movies, could watch that anytime.

 

[Kepler]

Re: New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

I didn't really think of it as an art film either, I can't place what it is, because you're right, it shouldn't have been marketed as an action movie. It was almost like a hybrid between art film and action movie, or art film people make an action movie. Whatever it was, I didn't think it worked, because it just didn't hold my attention. (and I'm not someone that needs flashy special effects and non-stop action to hold my attention)

I liked it a lot. There were some eye-rolling moments towards the end when the director began yelling I Am A Serious Artiste!, but on the whole, great movie, jaw-dropping cinematography, and whatsername was great as the lead.

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is still one of my all time favorite movies, could watch that anytime.

Freakin' love that movie. Everything about it. Especially the soundtrack.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, evidently the free market didn't use the colossal failure of the first film to prevent the second one from being made:

Atlas Shrugged II: Shrug Harder.

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[Kepler]

Re: New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

Atlas Shrugged II: Shrug Harder

I need a new keyboard, thanks.

There is no possible way to mock that movie more than its own trailer does. It's as if a Rush song had a baby with a Yes song, and it was raised by Emerson, Lake and Palmer. College sophomores of the world, UNITE!

 

[duper]

Re: New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

TCM just had Yojimbo on. It's a very, very, very strange movie.

LOVE Yojimbo!

 

[The Rube]

Re: New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

LOVE Yojimbo!

Yes.

I still have to watch about 1/3 of the 25-movie box collection of Akira that I bought last spring, and I haven't been disappointed in any of the movies I've seen (pricing the movies I wanted individually, it made sense just to buy the box set at the time; it was about a $30 difference in price).

NBK on right now. Encore Drama, I think the channel is (ENCD). I am pleased.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

I'm watching and recording Silence of the Lambs. Love this movie, and the gf hasn't seen it, so I'm going to DVR it and make her watch it.

 

[The Rube]

Re: New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

I'm watching and recording Silence of the Lambs. Love this movie, and the gf hasn't seen it, so I'm going to DVR it and make her watch it.

Good job on you. Great movie.

 

[duper]

Re: New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

Yes.

I still have to watch about 1/3 of the 25-movie box collection of Akira that I bought last spring, and I haven't been disappointed in any of the movies I've seen (pricing the movies I wanted individually, it made sense just to buy the box set at the time; it was about a $30 difference in price). NBK on right now. Encore Drama, I think the channel is (ENCD). I am pleased.

I need to bone up on my Kurasawa. I'm actually pretty hit or miss on his movies. This might be a sin, but I'm really not a huge fan of the 7 Samurai, but most of his others I have enjoyed. Of the ones I have seen, my other favorite besides Yojimbo would be Dersu Uzala.

 

[The Rube]

Re: New/Rented Movies: Have Mercy on Michael Bay's Soul, He Knows Not What He Does

I need to bone up on my Kurasawa. I'm actually pretty hit or miss on his movies. This might be a sin, but I'm really not a huge fan of the 7 Samurai, but most of his others I have enjoyed. Of the ones I have seen, my other favorite besides Yojimbo would be Dersu Uzala.

I haven't seen that one yet. I liked Stray Dog quite a bit, and Rashomon is a favorite of mine.