The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

[Handyman]

Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

Kepler's taste in movies is almost as bad as his taste in TV shows.

Kepler reminds me of film majors, you know the ones who find hidden meaning in everything but hate any movie that more than 12 people can agree is good. He is that guy who sits there and pontificates about a movie in 12 paragraphs but ultimately is just saying what the average hipster says over a PBR while waxing his handlebar mustache. The Hipster is better though because he doesnt have to remind us he went to Cornell by using words with 7 syllables and references almost as dated as Old Pio

Skyfall is not the best of the Craig movies (Casino Royale is, and it is in the Top 3 of all Bond movies IMHO) but it is hardly an F. It cetainly isnt an F if Quantum of Solace gets a D as QoS is not half the movie Skyfall is.

The Departed isnt an amazing movie but it is fun and has some great performances.

edit: This whole post is made as a lark, I am not really hating just poking the bear so to speak

 

[The Rube]

Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

The Departed isnt an amazing movie but it is fun and has some great performances.

That's about my opinion. Granted, I've watched hundreds of movies since then and while my opinion of The Departed has waned a tad (just a tad), your opinion still holds true.

 

[Kepler]

Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

because he doesnt have to remind us he went to Cornell by using words with 7 syllables and references almost as dated as Old Pio

I've never understood this criticism (and yes, I know you're joking but plenty of people aren't). If people don't know precise words or get classic references, that's not the fault of the person making them. Ignorance isn't virtue, it's... ignorance.

And does anybody honestly think that using the correct word or making the exactly intended reference is "showing off"? That smacks of people who slam correct grammar as "putting on airs." I've always assumed that it's just dumpster-diving for the "authenticity vote."

Having said which, I'll entertain differences of opinion on TDK because what I hate about it is the (hamfisted, predictable, juvenile) style, and there are people who like that style.

 

[The Rube]

Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

I've never understood this criticism (and yes, I know you're joking but plenty of people aren't). If people don't know precise words or classic references, that's not the fault of the person making them. Ignorance isn't virtue, it's just... ignorance.

To be fair, I don't see anyone speaking Shakespearean nowadays. Some would understand it, but it would be arrogant and pompous to speak that way in today's world.

 

[Kepler]

Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

And honestly, having getting into the movies from the 1930s-1950's lately (in the past couple years), there was just as much "dreck" then as there is now.

Oh, there was absolutely as much dreck -- the studios turned out the same sort of crap that Tom Cruise or Julia Roberts do now, and for exactly the $ame rea$on. I can't think of a single great actor from that era who wasn't in at least one stinker.

The only qualitative thing that was better about movies of those periods was the level of writing. The audiences were presumed to be of all ages and backgrounds and the cultural mores were you aimed "up" for dramas (part of comedy is always aiming "down" -- it's part of the charm). As we get to the modern era dramas have become, for lack of a better word, stupider, as audiences have become much younger and much less capable of appreciating, maybe even processing, complex emotional portrayals. A world where Meryl Streep is considered a good actress is understandable. A world where Meryl Streep is considered a great actress is pathetic.

Old movies also have the hugely unfair benefit of hindsight selection -- the awful first run movies are forgotten, while by definition contemporary movies have no filter.

I think comedies are actually significantly better, on the whole, now. They also skew really young, but if anything I think they are a lot more varied and original now. If you think the recycling of comedy themes is bad now, you should see the 40s.

 

[Kepler]

Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

To be fair, I don't see anyone speaking Shakespearean nowadays. Some would understand it, but it would be arrogant and pompous to speak that way in today's world.

It would be arrogant and pompous to walk down the street speaking Elizabethan English, but it's not arrogant to quote Shakespeare in context and for a purpose (even if the purpose is just reveling in the beauty of the work). And both statements would be as true in 1914 or 1814 (in 1714 Shakespeare was, amazingly enough, not really that highly thought of).

tl; dr: if somebody makes a reference and you don't understand it, don't point at them and do the Nelson "ha ha." Pick up a book!

And all the monkeys aren't in the zoo
everyday you meet quite a few
so you see it's all up to you,
you can be better than you are
you could be swinging on a star

 

[joecct]

It would be arrogant and pompous to walk down the street speaking Elizabethan English, but it's not arrogant to quote Shakespeare in context and for a purpose (even if the purpose is just reveling in the beauty of the work). And both statements would be as true in 1914 or 1814 (in 1714 Shakespeare was, amazingly enough, not really that highly thought of).

tl; dr: if somebody makes a reference and you don't understand it, don't point at them and do the Nelson "ha ha." Pick up a book!

The quote was from "Going My Way".

 

[Handyman]

Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

I've never understood this criticism (and yes, I know you're joking but plenty of people aren't). If people don't know precise words or get classic references, that's not the fault of the person making them. Ignorance isn't virtue, it's... ignorance.

And does anybody honestly think that using the correct word or making the exactly intended reference is "showing off"? That smacks of people who slam correct grammar as "putting on airs." I've always assumed that it's just dumpster-diving for the "authenticity vote."

Having said which, I'll entertain differences of opinion on TDK because what I hate about it is the (hamfisted, predictable, juvenile) style, and there are people who like that style.

Because some people do it to make themselves sound smarter and it stinks of an arrogance that is offputing. Talking above your audience doesnt make you better, it makes you someone whose audience doesnt like him

Put it this way, we dont need a long explanation as to why you went to the store with lots of graphs and charts and examples from movies and days of yore along with a list of every brand or material you bought and the history behind it...just say "I was hungry and went shopping"

 

[Slap Shot]

Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

Jesus Kepler, I love ya and I agree the villain in Skyfall was terrible, but it otherwise was a terrific movie. B at worst.

I do agree though that The Departed was horsecrap.

Brent - Fight Club is as overrated as Usual Suspects, yeah I said it.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

I enjoyed The Departed. Not an all time fav, but definitely a fun watch.

The Dark Knight though? What a bloated mess.

Leave out the whole Harvey Dent unnecessary (and BORING) side story and you probably have a good movie in there.

More Joker - no Dent. What a waste of a great villain.

Like Batman Begins a whole lot more.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

I enjoyed The Departed. Not an all time fav, but definitely a fun watch.

The Dark Knight though? What a bloated mess.

Leave out the whole Harvey Dent unnecessary (and BORING) side story and you probably have a good movie in there.

More Joker - no Dent. What a waste of a great villain.

Like Batman Begins a whole lot more.

Dark Knight is WAY WAY better than Batmin Begins. Heath Ledger performance alone is arguably the greatest comic book villian performance of all time.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

Dark Knight is WAY WAY better than Batmin Begins. Heath Ledger performance alone is arguably the greatest comic book villian performance of all time.

It was overlong and spent way too much time on Dent - a character that no one who isn't a comic book reader knows or cares about.

A great performance does not equate to a great movie.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

It was overlong and spent way too much time on Dent - a character that no one who isn't a comic book reader knows or cares about.

A great performance does not equate to a great movie.

For me it wasn't long enough and the Dent character was central to the entire story portrayed in the film. Without Dent there's no story.

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

I actually thought the third movie was the weakest one. Dumb/brutish villain, ridiculous ending, and a mostly mailed-in performance by Bale.

That said, taken as a trilogy, it's still a solid set of films. It got adult, non-comic book fans (such as myself) interested in Batman, and made a sh*tload of money, so I think Hollywood was pretty happy with it. Can't really say the same for The Hobbit trilogy, seeing as we're two films in, and I've already forgotten all but the most important plot points (you know, the ones actually in Tolkien's book).

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

Can't really say the same for The Hobbit trilogy, seeing as we're two films in, and I've already forgotten all but the most important plot points (you know, the ones actually in Tolkien's book).

I keep forgetting that there's another movie coming.

I'll see it in the theater because I need to see it through, but I don't have high (any) hopes.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

For me it wasn't long enough and the Dent character was central to the entire story portrayed in the film. Without Dent there's no story.

My solution would have been to write a script that had a joker-centric story.

 

[St. Clown]

Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

I keep forgetting that there's another movie coming.

I'll see it in the theater because I need to see it through, but I don't have high (any) hopes.

It's been a while since I read the Hobbit, but I don't remember a battle of 5 armies in the book, let alone enough to make an entire movie about the battle.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

It's been a while since I read the Hobbit, but I don't remember a battle of 5 armies in the book, let alone enough to make an entire movie about the battle.

Hmmm, that battle was central to the end of the Hobbit.

I appear to be the lone person enjoying the movies so I won't bother to digress further.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

It's been a while since I read the Hobbit, but I don't remember a battle of 5 armies in the book, let alone enough to make an entire movie about the battle.

There is, but Bilbo gets knocked out early on and the story of the battle is told to Bilbo so you don't actually read about it in real time.


Talk about bloated movies - The Hobbit should have been two movies and honestly could have been one.

 

[Handyman]

Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

It's been a while since I read the Hobbit, but I don't remember a battle of 5 armies in the book, let alone enough to make an entire movie about the battle.

Its in there...kinda.

Gurt,

The purpose of the Joker was not to be the main villain...he was just the little bit of chaos showing up randomly to mess things up. I remember reading Nolan and Goyer saying they were writing him in a non linear fashion for that reason. The movie is supposed to be the Rise and Fall of Harvey Dent. I think that would have changed had they known Heath wouldnt be around. It seems obvious they would have written the third part with Joker in Arkham. If Heath dies during filming my guess is Two-Face lives and destroys Gotham. (not years later)