[Aptorian]

I've watched Season of the Witch, The Mazerunner and RIPD

Season of the Witch was surprisingly good. You know how there's good Nicolas Cage and bad Nicolas Cage films? This was a good Cage film. The plot and themes seem really oldschool. This could just as well have been an 80s movie featuring Schwarzenneger or Willis or some such. Surprisingly good production with what I suspect was a limited budget.

The Mazerunner was equally good. Cool concept and good pick of kids. I have a sneaking suspicion this movie was based on a book that was trying to copy The Hunger Games. It seems very similar, all though more mysterious than dystopian. I am curious to see what an eventual sequel would offer.

RIPD - Much more entertaining than I was expecting. From the criticism I heard upon it's release I thought this movie would stink but it's pretty good. A bit goofy perhaps. I get the impression they were trying to ape Men in Black and giving it a more kid friendly spin. Reynolds and Bacon were completely forgettable in their roles but Jeff Bridges was great. Sort of bums me out that there won't be a sequel. Seems like they could have done so much more with the universe.

[Primateus]

Picked up on Apt's (short) review of 47 Ronin and just finished watching it. I agree with Apt wholeheartedly. It is a solid fantasy film with a decent story and a good cast. I enjoyed it immensely, especially since I haven't seen a samurai movie since Tom Cruise and the Last Samurai.

If you have yet to see 47 Ronin I recommend you do so at your earliest opportunity.

[Gothos]

Apt, on 06 December 2014 - 06:03 PM, said:

Godzilla was so-so. I don't have any particular knowledge about or fondness for the older films, so a lot of the fan tributes probably went by me.

They probably did. I had all the Godzilla films that my local rental had on VHS memorized.

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I thought it was goofy that Godzilla actually looked like the rubber suit original, but it was also pretty cool.

It was awesome, and it was the only way this new film would sit with old Godzilla fans like me. Take that 1998 crap away and throw it in a black hole.

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I liked Godzilla's single-mindedness. He came to kick some monster ass and by god that's what he was going to do. The actual human side of the story, particularly the son of nuclear physicist story, was pointless filler in my opinion.

They got that part accurately as well. Besides a handful (the original, Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla + Tokyo SOS, Biollante, some others) the human side is pretty goofy, but.... hell, no, not pointless, them japanese films had their humans as a good enough background, it kept the films together mostly well (I'm not touching the later Showa series, but Heisei and Millenium were greatly done). Up to the point where in the last film (Final Wars - ok so the film ain't very serious about anything, but it IS a tribute to the series) one of the human characters seems more badass than the Big G himself.

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Did anyone else get the impression from various shots that Godzilla is actually conscious enough that it was trying to avoid human collateral?

Conscious enough - yes! He's not an animal. Over the years he's displayed various extents of cunning, awareness and intelligence - but never mindless and unmindful. Not saying benevolent, tho!

I'd recommend you watch at least the Millenium series, and if you liked those, extend that to the Heisei series (if those names don't tell you anything, just google it ), and also the very first Godzilla.

[Morgoth]

Primateus, on 08 December 2014 - 09:06 PM, said:

Picked up on Apt's (short) review of 47 Ronin and just finished watching it. I agree with Apt wholeheartedly. It is a solid fantasy film with a decent story and a good cast. I enjoyed it immensely, especially since I haven't seen a samurai movie since Tom Cruise and the Last Samurai.

If you have yet to see 47 Ronin I recommend you do so at your earliest opportunity.

Seriously? I found the whole thing to be entirely terrible. The acting was atrocious, the script wooden to the extreeme ("I'm not afraid of you" "You should be"... seriously?) the plot was hardly coherent, and the CGI sub par to say the least. I expected a low quality but fun adventure fantasy and received a steaming pile of shit.

The movie, incidentally, has received a 6.3 rating on IMD, a 14 % on rotten tomatoes, a metacritic rating of 28 % from critics and a 6.3 % from users. So, as a response to Apt and Primateus I'd advise others to watch almost anything other than 47 Ronin.

[Macros]

but Keanu has such a range of acting skills!

[Aptorian]

Morgoth, on 09 December 2014 - 09:11 AM, said:

Primateus, on 08 December 2014 - 09:06 PM, said:

Picked up on Apt's (short) review of 47 Ronin and just finished watching it. I agree with Apt wholeheartedly. It is a solid fantasy film with a decent story and a good cast. I enjoyed it immensely, especially since I haven't seen a samurai movie since Tom Cruise and the Last Samurai.

If you have yet to see 47 Ronin I recommend you do so at your earliest opportunity.

Seriously? I found the whole thing to be entirely terrible. The acting was atrocious, the script wooden to the extreeme ("I'm not afraid of you" "You should be"... seriously?) the plot was hardly coherent, and the CGI sub par to say the least. I expected a low quality but fun adventure fantasy and received a steaming pile of shit.

The movie, incidentally, has received a 6.3 rating on IMD, a 14 % on rotten tomatoes, a metacritic rating of 28 % from critics and a 6.3 % from users. So, as a response to Apt and Primateus I'd advise others to watch almost anything other than 47 Ronin.

See I don't agree with this at all. Maybe it's because I had just watched Hercules and Expendables but I thought the film good. Not great, in any way but a solid fantasy tale. The thing about the characters and their lines is that I took them for what they were, Japanese. I've never been to Japan but all the litterature, movies, manga, etc. I have encountered describes these Japanese charicatures. Stern, proud, arrogant, angry, submissive, traditional, supersticious, etc. It's a movie about Samurai culture and aristocratic Japanese people taking themselves ridiculously serious. It's entertaining in the sense that is foreign to me.

The plot is incredibly simple, I don't understand how it can be incoherent. Introduction of the characters and setting, bad guy and witch arrive, fall from grace, revenge mission ensues, quest for magical bullshit, attack, subversion, better attack, showdown, crazy wrap up. There wasn't that much CGI in the film and the stuff that was seemed fine to me. That magical dragon thing looked pretty cool on a 48 inch screen in HD.

Macros, on 09 December 2014 - 09:39 AM, said:

but Keanu has such a range of acting skills!

He's as wooden as an oak tree in this film, however it works perfectly in the movies setting.

[QuickTidal]

Though I've not watched it yet, I fully plan on watching 47 RONIN. Other than being a fantasy movie based on one of my fave tales, it's also a samurai flick that stars Hiryoki Sanada. I have a feeling I'll like it.

Oh and Apt, if you want to see a great, recent samurai flick, get 13 ASSASSINS.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 09 December 2014 - 11:52 AM

[polishgenius]

QuickTidal, on 09 December 2014 - 11:52 AM, said:

Oh and Apt, if you want to see a great, recent samurai flick, get 13 ASSASSINS.

Big fat MEH!

Nah, I mean, it was decent, but I think I'm just turning out not to be a huge fan of Takashi Miike. Although I've not seen, and have little interest in seeing, his best-regarded films, because of their subject matter- the only other one I've seen, I think, is Sukiaki Western Django, which just felt like a sickly relation to the similarly-themed The Good, The Bad, The Weird which came out around the same time.


The recent(ish) Samurai films I want to see are Yoji Yamada's trilogy on the subject- Twilight Samurai, The Hidden Blade, and Love and Honor).

[Morgoth]

Twilight Samurai is a wonderful film.

[QuickTidal]

polishgenius, on 09 December 2014 - 05:13 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 09 December 2014 - 11:52 AM, said:

Oh and Apt, if you want to see a great, recent samurai flick, get 13 ASSASSINS.

Big fat MEH!

Nah, I mean, it was decent, but I think I'm just turning out not to be a huge fan of Takashi Miike. Although I've not seen, and have little interest in seeing, his best-regarded films, because of their subject matter- the only other one I've seen, I think, is Sukiaki Western Django, which just felt like a sickly relation to the similarly-themed The Good, The Bad, The Weird which came out around the same time.


The recent(ish) Samurai films I want to see are Yoji Yamada's trilogy on the subject- Twilight Samurai, The Hidden Blade, and Love and Honor).

13 ASSASSINS is a tame love letter by Miike to Kurosawa. Miike's films (I've seen most of them) are insane. Like REALLY insane, and the only one I care much for is CITY OF LOST SOULS...and I like it because it's totally insane.

In 13 ASSASSINS he dials ALL of his tendencies back to zero. I mean we get to see long, sweeping shots of feudal Japan, static shots in which only the most important things seem to move, but the backdrop is still important (this was a Kurosawa affectation), and lovingly lingering shots of costumes and character. Interspliced with the only Miike-stylistic things to make it into the film (the blood and gore, which is all him).

I fully believe that Miike was doing his level best at crafting a film that spoke to the ones he grew up idolizing without turning them into the type that he normally makes. I mean if he COULD have time traveled and cast Toshiro Mifune in the role that Koji Yakusho played, I'm convinced he would have.

It's simplistic, gorgeous, and at times brutal...but accurate updated version of the movie (it's a remake of a 1963 film), which in turn is based upon a legend.

Yoji Yamada's stuff is good too, but in a more saccharine way. His films are mean tot be touching.

[polishgenius]

The fact that he was so closely mirroring Kurosawa may have been part of my problem. I've not seen a lot of Kurosawa, not even the whole of Seven Samurai (I should get on that tbh, but at the moment it's difficult, coz dvds with English subs are hard to come by in Germany), but it's clear from the most minimal of watching that he's on a whole different level. Because of the close relationship between Samurai films and Westerns it also reminded me heavily of several of those, and was also a bit below standard.


I'm not saying to people not to see it. But I don't think it's a masterpiece or owt.



I should watch more Japanese cinema in general though. For some reason, I've never seen that many.

[QuickTidal]

polishgenius, on 09 December 2014 - 07:22 PM, said:

The fact that he was so closely mirroring Kurosawa may have been part of my problem. I've not seen a lot of Kurosawa, not even the whole of Seven Samurai (I should get on that tbh, but at the moment it's difficult, coz dvds with English subs are hard to come by in Germany), but it's clear from the most minimal of watching that he's on a whole different level. Because of the close relationship between Samurai films and Westerns it also reminded me heavily of several of those, and was also a bit below standard.


I'm not saying to people not to see it. But I don't think it's a masterpiece or owt.



I should watch more Japanese cinema in general though. For some reason, I've never seen that many.

If you can get your hands on any Kurosawa, aside from SEVEN SAMURAI, get HIDDEN FORTRESS, YOJIMBO, and SANJURO. All are not only worth watching, but illustrate Kurosawa's style. Well worth it.

And if you want to watch more Japanese cinema, you can't go wrong with Takeshi Kitano. KIKUJIRO, BROTHER, and OUTRAGE (the last of which is an EXCELLENT deconstruction of how ludicrous Yakuza culture is), and if you are looking for something a little more introspective, Kore Eda's NOBODY KNOWS, and LIKE FATHER LIKE SON, are both excellent. Both are heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure.

And after Kore Eda, you'll desire some funny, so...KEY OF LIFE which has an utterly RIDICULOUS premise, but pulls off the laughs and the charm well.

[worry]

Twilight Samurai is in fact wonderful.

The Miike films you gotta see are of course Audition and Visitor Q, both A++++, but neither having anything to do with samurai, so I guess that's an aside.

Was City of Lost Souls the one with the Brazilian gangster? If so yah that one was awesome.

[worry]

And yah Beat Takeshi might be the best person who ever lived.

[QuickTidal]

worry, on 09 December 2014 - 08:37 PM, said:

Twilight Samurai is in fact wonderful.

The Miike films you gotta see are of course Audition and Visitor Q, both A++++, but neither having anything to do with samurai, so I guess that's an aside.

Was City of Lost Souls the one with the Brazilian gangster? If so yah that one was awesome.

Yep, that's the one. The same movie where a guy gets shot in an alley and spells out LOVE in blood on the ground with it by moving the dripping wound over the ground as he staggers.

And Chicken-fu.

worry, on 09 December 2014 - 08:38 PM, said:

And yah Beat Takeshi might be the best person who ever lived.

He's pretty much the best. I recall watching dubbed copies of his old morning show TAKESHI'S CASTLE (sidenote: from which came those clip shows of Most Extreme Elimination Challenge, which in turn begat the American ripoffs of that format) with friends way back in the day.

[worry]

Kikujiro is definitely in my personal all-time top 10. Uh, I guess to the above topic it's worth noting he did make a samurai film, Zatoichi. I have zero experience with the previous Blind Swordsman films, but I liked Beat's movie (let's say I was indifferent to the CGI blood). It's not like a masterpiece by any means, and is more of a popcorn flick than Beat usually makes, but for all that I found it fun and it still had plenty of personality.

[QuickTidal]

So....apparently the next 21 JUMP STREET movie is going to crossover with MEN IN BLACK.

written and directed by Chris Miller and Phil Lord.

Miller and Lord are geniuses and if anyone can pull it off it would be them....but man that's a crazy idea!

[Bulwyf]

QuickTidal, on 10 December 2014 - 03:42 PM, said:

So....apparently the next 21 JUMP STREET movie is going to crossover with MEN IN BLACK.

written and directed by Chris Miller and Phil Lord.

Miller and Lord are geniuses and if anyone can pull it off it would be them....but man that's a crazy idea!

Hah, that sounds like it'd be a pretty funny flick

[polishgenius]

QuickTidal, on 09 December 2014 - 08:07 PM, said:

And if you want to watch more Japanese cinema, you can't go wrong with Takeshi Kitano. KIKUJIRO, BROTHER, and OUTRAGE (the last of which is an EXCELLENT deconstruction of how ludicrous Yakuza culture is), and if you are looking for something a little more introspective, Kore Eda's NOBODY KNOWS, and LIKE FATHER LIKE SON, are both excellent. Both are heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure.

And after Kore Eda, you'll desire some funny, so...KEY OF LIFE which has an utterly RIDICULOUS premise, but pulls off the laughs and the charm well.

I've only seen one Beat Takeshi film - it was Zatoichi, and it's fucking awesome.

[QuickTidal]

polishgenius, on 10 December 2014 - 08:22 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 09 December 2014 - 08:07 PM, said:

And if you want to watch more Japanese cinema, you can't go wrong with Takeshi Kitano. KIKUJIRO, BROTHER, and OUTRAGE (the last of which is an EXCELLENT deconstruction of how ludicrous Yakuza culture is), and if you are looking for something a little more introspective, Kore Eda's NOBODY KNOWS, and LIKE FATHER LIKE SON, are both excellent. Both are heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure.

And after Kore Eda, you'll desire some funny, so...KEY OF LIFE which has an utterly RIDICULOUS premise, but pulls off the laughs and the charm well.

I've only seen one Beat Takeshi film - it was Zatoichi, and it's fucking awesome.

That would be the least good of his films (not taking away from it, it's still awesome), so you're in for a treat with the others.

SideNote: When he is directing, he uses his proper name Takeshi Kitano...and when he is acting he is Beat Takeshi. #TheMoreYouKnow