On December 31 2018 06:45 The_Red_Viper wrote: Man this spiderman hype is sure something, i didn't see it yet but i also have a hard time believing that it is that good outside of the animation. Hopefully i get the chance to see it soon, really want to be able to talk about it as long as it is still on people's minds
I have yet to see a bad review of it Angry Joe gave it 10/10 (and his co-hosts 9/10 which was more like 9+ and they had to really nitpick to lower the score from 10). The hype is real and I must say that the movie did pleasantly surprise me (was expecting something a bit different from it but it still delivered).
Edit: On the note of animation alone, it's really worth checking out this video (it only talks about the trailer so no spoilers).
On December 31 2018 06:45 The_Red_Viper wrote: Man this spiderman hype is sure something, i didn't see it yet but i also have a hard time believing that it is that good outside of the animation. Hopefully i get the chance to see it soon, really want to be able to talk about it as long as it is still on people's minds
I have yet to see a bad review of it Angry Joe gave it 10/10 (and his co-hosts 9/10 which was more like 9+ and they had to really nitpick to lower the score from 10). The hype is real and I must say that the movie did pleasantly surprise me (was expecting something a bit different from it but it still delivered).
Edit: On the note of animation alone, it's really worth checking out this video (it only talks about the trailer so no spoilers).
See i don't really think like that though, i don't lower the score from 10, i add it to the 5. Things the movie does exceptionally well get it higher than average, if something irks me a lot then it might just work against the plus points. I just wonder what this movie does so well outside of the animation, does it break the 1000 times seen origin story? Has it three dimensional characters and villains, stuff like that when it comes to the writing for example. But yeah as i said, hope i can see it the next few days, this extreme hype is just something which makes me a little skeptical tbh.
On December 31 2018 22:03 The_Red_Viper wrote: I just wonder what this movie does so well outside of the animation, does it break the 1000 times seen origin story? Has it three dimensional characters and villains, stuff like that when it comes to the writing for example.
I mentioned the animation because it's definitely one of the high points in it (so much so that Sony wants to patent/copyright it). But do not be afraid, characters are really nicely fleshed out, the jokes are on point and funny, dialogue and story are very good and everything just works great. The villains might be a bit on the bland side of things (still good) but it doesn't matter that much because it's not about them at all and they serve their purpose in the movie.
Edit: Also, you can't really forget about the animation because it's inherently linked to the movie medium and allows you to tell a story without using words. I really liked how they did all the character backstories, 20 years compressed down to 2-5 seconds and the way it's done is truly brilliant.
On December 31 2018 22:03 The_Red_Viper wrote: I just wonder what this movie does so well outside of the animation, does it break the 1000 times seen origin story? Has it three dimensional characters and villains, stuff like that when it comes to the writing for example.
I mentioned the animation because it's definitely one of the high points in it (so much so that Sony wants to patent/copyright it). But do not be afraid, characters are really nicely fleshed out, the jokes are on point and funny, dialogue and story are very good and everything just works great. The villains might be a bit on the bland side of things (still good) but it doesn't matter that much because it's not about them at all and they serve their purpose in the movie.
Edit: Also, you can't really forget about the animation because it's inherently linked to the movie medium and allows you to tell a story without using words. I really liked how they did all the character backstories, 20 years compressed down to 2-5 seconds and the way it's done is truly brilliant.
I agree with pretty much everything here.
The film also deconstructs the origin story, because it recognizes that it's been done to death. (The reason it's so prevalent is that it's a really simple way to build a character arc.)
Well, it's definitely no Wonder Woman. I was overall happy with it, because I think the second half picked things up (I was a bit bored with parts of the first half). I've been noticing some recurring themes of DC movies (or, at least, my opinions of most non-WW DC movies seem to be similar)... with Aquaman, Batman vs. Superman, Justice League, and Suicide Squad, I thought the acting and actors were very good but I really, really felt like the writing was lacking. Also, they all seem to prefer this dark-ish, brooding, serious atmosphere (especially contrasted to Marvel's), which makes the occasional one-liner jokes seem really awkward, forced, and out of place. I love humor, but I don't seem to appreciate it as much in these DC movies because it seems like it doesn't belong most of the time. Aquaman was a beautiful movie too, especially the underwater scenes, but there was a lot of cutting to different sets... like, okay, now you're trying to be Star Wars... and now you're Indiana Jones... and now wtf Jurassic Park? It was kind of all over the place. I heard from fans that the story is pretty close to the comics which is nice, yet it still appeared to me like there was a bit of an identity crisis with the kind of movie it was supposed to be.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. I'm not much into comics world, but it is probably the best movie i've ever seen on big screen! Stunning animation, perfectly developed plot and characters and GREAT soundtracks
The last 3 movies I've seen were Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 3 Billboards Outside of Ebbings, Missouri, and Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse. This is an amazing streak :D
I thought that both Unbreakable and Split were unexpectedly brilliant (although Unbreakable suffers from a constant and distractingly shit soundtrack).
On January 17 2019 19:39 seom wrote: not yet but I probably will soon.
I thought that both Unbreakable and Split were unexpectedly brilliant (although Unbreakable suffers from a constant and distractingly shit soundtrack).
Saw it last night. James mcavoy great perfomance. Movie overall at first it captivates you but then it becomes abit dull. Had a nice message in the movie.
Just got back from a showing of Peter Jackson's They shall not Grow Old. 7/10. I understand it took four years to restore and colorize and even invent the tech to make this into a movie but you can't tell me the Imperial War Museum did not have archives and interview of soldiers from India, New Zealand, Australia.
I was also expecting restoration footage and voice overs from Russians, Germans, Austrians etc. But I guess I am used to the Ken Burns type of documentaries. But overall a good movie.
This was my first Kubrick and i loved it. Now i never read the source material so i cannot comment on the differences and how they impact the effectiveness of the narrative and themes, but the movie stands on its own very well. In essence this is a story about man being the scariest and most dangerous creature/monster of them all. We follow the writer jack torrence who gets a job as caretaker of an isolated hotel in the mountains who wants to use this atmosphere to write his next novel. He and his family move there over winter and soon weird things happen.
Everyone knows the famous scene of the kid riding his tricycle through the lonely corridors of the Overlook Hotel and how creepy and atmoshperic this long take sequence is. The whole movie is incredibly effective at building this same tense and unsettling mood, the location they filmed at is obviously perfect but kubrick just knows how to film, when to cut, what angle to use. The performances are great, the music is awesome, it's basically the perfect horror film.
Masterpiece
9+/10
The Road
Now people always say you have to judge the film on its own merits and i definitely agree with that. But that won't change some bias one has when one actually knows the source material. In this case the source material is by Cormac Mccarthy one of the best authors alive, the movie is done by only a decent director.
Now don't get me wrong, this work isn't bad, it captures some parts of the book rather well (landscapes being bleak, some of the dangers in this new 'society') but the gravitas of mccarthy's prose is missing and the father-son relationship isn't nearly strong enough in this film, it doesn't carry the same emotional impact. I came to tears while reading the book, i didn't have the same reaction watching the movie (and usually i am more receptive to these stimuli in visual media) It is a decent try, it's an ok attempt, but for a mccarthy adaptation you need more than that.
6/10
Roma
The most beautiful film of 2018, the most down to earth film of 2018, the best film of 2018.
Now i watched other movies of Alfonso Cuarón before and while i always liked them, i never really felt a strong emotional connection to the characters before. This changed here, it is a very intimate experience and some sequences will definitely stick with you for a long time. It's slice of life, there is no real plot but exactly that makes it so effective in the end, it just feels real and earned whenever something important happens and the impact is only bigger for it. Cuarón's magnum opus imo
9/10
Primer
Impressive script in the contex of creating a time travel story which is both complex and consistent, everything else just falls flat though. It is not surprising considering the tiny budget they had, but i can only comment on the end result and it's not working all that well as a film. There is no connection to the characters and the narrative is presented in a really dull way. I'll give it credit for the clever script, but i cannot pretend to really like the movie.
6/10
Isle of dogs
Wes Anderson's famous style of symmetry and quirkiness works best when he does stop motion, there i said it. That doesn't mean i didn't like his live action films, quite the contrary actually, but i really think his strengths shine a lot more when we remove one level of realism, that of live action. There are several plotlines going on in this movie at the same time, but in essence it is about working against the government in their bigotry against dogs. You can clearly see the allegories being made here, this might just be Anderson's most political movie. Now don't make a mistake, the main focus is on a group of dogs who have their own adventure, trying to help a human who wants to find how ex pet dog. The animation level is incredible, the details of the stop motion might be the highest we have ever seen, it is a treat to watch on the visual front alone. But there is also the social commentary, the usual quirkiness of characters and situations and a fun conspiracy story.
Must watch and hopefully the winner for best animation this year.
8/10
2001 a space odyssey
This is Kubrick's magnum opus and that is saying something. It deals with the big questions of humankind , "where do we come from", "where are we going" , "what makes us human", and more. All of that shot with clinical precision, some of the most beautiful images you will ever see, the most interesting and exciting ways of filming even dull actions (like a normal conversation or exposition). Even though this was made 50 years ago it still holds up extremely well, be it the spaceship models or later on spacetravel itself. This is a truly ambitious film, it never caters too much to the audience and outright states what it's about, it leaves room for interpretation even to the very end. A masterpiece of technical filmmaking, ambitious philosophical scifi narratives and simply one of the best movies ever made.
9+/10
Psycho
First half is tense and the female lead is great, hitchock really sells the paranoia (big shoutout to the music used) of our protagonist who is on the run with stolen money. Then IT happens and the movie loses on quality in the 2nd half, characters we aren't really interested in take the spotlight (not talking about bates, he is great) and even some of the narrative and presentation is just odd. I get that it might have totally worked 60 years ago but times change and so does the understanding of art and the techniques being used to convey certain emotions, psycho didn't age well is the point i am trying to make. (rear window and vertigo aged way better). Add to that an ending which is a blatant info dump, outright explaining things we have seen until that point and you get a so-so film. I know some people will look at this as and cry "blasphemy!" but i am fine with that.
TLDR: strong first half, patchy second one.
6.5-7/10
Eight grade
This is the directorial debut of Bo Burnham, a known comedian who started a decade ago doing youtube videos. I personally have never seen any of his professional work before, so there is no real bias on that front. Eight grade is a coming of age story which has probably the best script of any traditional coming of age story i have ever seen. It just feels real, the female lead (who actually is at the age of the character being portrayed) talks like a teenager, acts like one and anyone who isn't too far removed from that state will totally think "yeah that's absolutely it" oftentimes throughout this film. I can only praise the writing so much, but i really mean it when i say that for the most part this film cleverly avoids the usual tropes or gives them at least a new spin, which one could also say about the importance of technology in the narrative, we live in the age of social media and especially for the younger generation it is an integral part of the daily life.
The performances are great as well, there are soem heartfelt scenes which wouldn't have worked nearly as well if not for the acting displayed. The only little criticism is the visuals, it isn't shot in any interesting way, it's just competent on that lvl, but this only matters to some extent, i highly recommend people to watch this film and it is a shame that it didn't get any oscar nods, definitely one of the best films this year.
8/10
One cut of the dead
PLS DON'T STOP IN THE FIRST 35 MINUTES! PLS DON'T STOP IN THE FIRST 35 MINUTES! PLS DON'T STOP IN THE FIRST 35 MINUTES!
We follow a film crew who tries to create the next masterpiece of zombie films at a place where rumors say that stange experiments took place, soon the crew has to fight for their lives. Now that we have this out of the way i can give you one more advice, pls just watch the whole thing no matter what you think of it in the first half an hour or so, it will get better, it will all make sense, it will be funny and it will be a celebration of + Show Spoiler +
filmmaking
It's maybe not the best execution one could imagine, but i am extremely happy i have watched this film, that it can exist and that the end result is as good as it is. Pls give it a try
7/10
Burning
Add Lee Chang-dong's directing to a film which is inspired by a Murakami short story and you'll get a wonderful tale with mysterious characters and strong social commentary. (and obviously cats and wells)
In this narrative we follow the introverted writer Jongsu who meets an old school friend in Haemi, they keep in touch though soon enough another man gets added to the euqation and he seems to have a rather unusual hobby. Now this one works on multiple levels, at the one hand it is a slow burning thriller which will keep your interest, on the other hand it is a social commentary about the state of korean society, mostly concerned with the gap between poor and rich and the existential crisis in the youth. It is beautifully filmed and especially one scene won't leave your mind for a while (hint: jazz, dancing). Other than Steven Yeun the lead actors are fairly unknown which doesn't really reduce the quality of the performances, quite the contrary, everyone does a wonderful job. For some people it might be a tad bit too slow, but to me it felt like poetry on the big screen. It might be Lee Chang-dong's most accessible work to date and a small break in style even, but the fusion of mystery and thematic depth succeeded on all accounts, korea yet again got snubbed by the academy
I can't speak on many of them, but I think your reviews of The Shining and Psycho are spot on. I'm one of the few people who does not really like 2001 in the way a lot of critics do (I find it a bit plodding and rather dated nowadays), but maybe that's just me
I mean certain things in 2001 are somewhat dated ofc (special effects and knowing how 2001 actually felt like and looked like), but at least to me it never broke my immersion with the movie which is why i think it holds up really well. Using classical music as soundtrack was genius, it really added a lot of gravitas, kubrick's filmmaking is perfect. Just watch the scene when the two astronauts are eating and watching an interview of themselves, it is basically just an info dump but kubrick makes it interesting with different angles and the set design. Thematically and narratively it is ambitious and doesn't hold your hand, he respects the viewer to figure things out on their own for the most part. After watching 2001 i like interstellar even less, mostly because interstellar got compared to it and labeled as "the 2001 of our times", no it really is not and kubrick would roll in his grave knowing people made that comparison.
The Shining is still scary and unsettling as the first time I've watched it after all these years. It must have come out of the mind of a really messed up director.
my problem with 2001 is just the lame sixties-ness of the ideas (a robot that ruthlessly carries out it's prime directives but is suddenly turned human just to make it's "death" sympathetic, the cheap psychedelia of the ending etc.)
so many of Kubrick's films feel like the technical accomplishments of a genius with very superficial treatment of the subject matter.
Kubrick's form, motion, visual composition, and rhythm may be impressive, but the film hardly transcends story (it might have been better served if it had).
EPT
Angry Joe gave it 10/10 (and his co-hosts 9/10 which was more like 9+ and they had to really nitpick to lower the score from 10). The hype is real and I must say that the movie did pleasantly surprise me (was expecting something a bit different from it but it still delivered).
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