[QuickTidal]

It's really fun watching Mal attempt to pull people into a scrap, and watching him fail twice...

Oh and it should be noted that Frank Miller...went off his fucking rocker YEARS ago and is now considered a Right Wing assclown with no redeeming qualities.

[QuickTidal]

Finally got to see 12 YEARS A SLAVE.

Absolutely deserves every accolade it has received, including Best Picture. Phenomenal performances. Emotional, gut-wrenchingly so in fact. both Lupita and Chiwtel deliver on a skill level I am unable to comprehend properly.

I collapsed into shoulder wracking sobs more than once.

This film makes me angry as a human, at what was allowed to transpire less than 200 years ago. It's important as a bulwark of something we should NEVER forget happened.

The whole thing can be summed up in the one scene at the end. As Solomon is lead away from the Epps plantation...he looks back as Patsey collapses on the ground. He's going free, but has to watch himself led away from SO many who aren't, and one who is SO bereft of anything that resembles "life", she wanted him to help her die. That scene where she is whipped mercilessly...it ends with the camera on her hands as she drops the soap she went to get from the next plantation over...

Seriously, Lupita deserved that Oscar over everyone else in that category by a wide margin.

Steve McQueen studied, cleverly, at the Takeshi Kitano school of filmmaking. Shoot a brutal scene, and then leave the camera on it for silent minutes and just let the actor's face emote.

PERFECTION.

Better than GRAVITY, better than anything else that came out last year.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 23 March 2014 - 03:34 AM

[amphibian]

Snowpiercer is alright. 6 out of 10 snow drifts in a post-apocalyptic world. Alistair Reynolds did a better job with ice planet, constantly moving train weirdness in Absolution Gap.

The sheer size of the train is weirdly downplayed and I think that's a problem within the film. Things happen too quickly for the scope of the revolution to really sink in and become meaningful.

Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton do a great job though. There's a strong future out there for Evans past Captain America, as Sunshine, Push, Scott Pilgrim and this movie showcase. He has range, humor and good luck picking scripts.

[Morgoth]

QuickTidal, on 22 March 2014 - 11:57 AM, said:

It's really fun watching Mal attempt to pull people into a scrap, and watching him fail twice...

Oh and it should be noted that Frank Miller...went off his fucking rocker YEARS ago and is now considered a Right Wing assclown with no redeeming qualities.

Yeah, the whole freedom loving west vs the evil slave owning east deserves both ridicule and disgust. The Persians had something akin to human rights and a defined legal coded that applied (in theory) to all stratas of society, whereas Sparta was one of the more brutal slave owning societies of the age. IF anything, most people living in Sparta would be better off under Persian rule.

[QuickTidal]

Morgoth, on 23 March 2014 - 07:33 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 22 March 2014 - 11:57 AM, said:

It's really fun watching Mal attempt to pull people into a scrap, and watching him fail twice...

Oh and it should be noted that Frank Miller...went off his fucking rocker YEARS ago and is now considered a Right Wing assclown with no redeeming qualities.

Yeah, the whole freedom loving west vs the evil slave owning east deserves both ridicule and disgust. The Persians had something akin to human rights and a defined legal coded that applied (in theory) to all stratas of society, whereas Sparta was one of the more brutal slave owning societies of the age. IF anything, most people living in Sparta would be better off under Persian rule.

Indeed, and if anything modern society owes more to Persia and the rest of the East for medicine and kept knowledge than the Western world could ever claim to.

[Macros]

I know they're a nonsense work, my issue was your suggestion that there is history in there beyond some names. There simply isn't.

anyhow

Parkland,
The assassination of Kennedy is something I knew nothing about beyond someone shot him, so I found this film very interesting.
I liked how the focal point of the film happens at the very start so there on it was almost the reverse of any other film, an anti build up or something. Zac Effron is more than just a pretty man it seems, but the entire cast played their parts well.
It was still a bizare experience for me as once jfk gets shot nothing realy happens, its all fallout, but still enjoyable. Id recommend it purely for the sake of Giamattis performance.

[QuickTidal]

Macros, on 24 March 2014 - 10:00 AM, said:

I know they're a nonsense work, my issue was your suggestion that there is history in there beyond some names. There simply isn't.

History IS names and places. Unless you were there, and only Herodotus thought to write it down.

When it comes to 300 all they are saying is "these things happened", here is our embellishment of those things. Of course we know it's not accurate. But they still DO fight at Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis...and all those thing DO have the outcomes that we see. The main noted personages are present. The details are stylistically overblown for visual entertainment.

[Gothos]

QuickTidal, on 24 March 2014 - 11:16 AM, said:

The details are stylistically overblown for visual entertainment.

That's like calling the bubonic plague a cold, but yeah.

[Abyss]

Finally saw FROZEN. very cute. entertaining in that 'i'm an adult watching a disney animated movie' sort of way.

But i've come to the conclusion that Disney hates parents.

[Macros]

Gothos, on 24 March 2014 - 11:19 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 24 March 2014 - 11:16 AM, said:

The details are stylistically overblown for visual entertainment.

That's like calling the bubonic plague a cold, but yeah.

I was thinking it was more like saying Captain America could have happened because Nazis, Germany, America, world war 2

[worry]

I just watched Frozen and Tangled both over the weekend. Liked them about the same (~3.5 stars on the Netflix scale) but "Let It Go" has to be one of the all time worst Disney songs. That it's the breakout hit from this one movie, let alone a hit in general, is absolutely baffling.

[Abyss]

worry, on 24 March 2014 - 06:27 PM, said:

I just watched Frozen ... "Let It Go" has to be one of the all time worst Disney songs. That it's the breakout hit from this one movie, let alone a hit in general, is absolutely baffling.

The Idina Menzel version during the movie, or the Demi Lovato abomination that runs during the credits?

[worry]

Both. I hate the song, I had Idina Menzel's voice, and I wish neither had ever existed.

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 24 March 2014 - 06:43 PM, said:

worry, on 24 March 2014 - 06:27 PM, said:

I just watched Frozen ... "Let It Go" has to be one of the all time worst Disney songs. That it's the breakout hit from this one movie, let alone a hit in general, is absolutely baffling.

The Idina Menzel version during the movie, or the Demi Lovato abomination that runs during the credits?

worry, on 24 March 2014 - 06:49 PM, said:

Both. I hate the song, I had Idina Menzel's voice, and I wish neither had ever existed.

In that case you're clearly cold and dead inside, which is both humorous AND ironic.
Also, stay away from Broadway. Menzel is the poster child role model for virtually every up and coming female vocalist out there.

[Spoilsport Stonny]

Abyss, on 24 March 2014 - 06:43 PM, said:

worry, on 24 March 2014 - 06:27 PM, said:

I just watched Frozen ... "Let It Go" has to be one of the all time worst Disney songs. That it's the breakout hit from this one movie, let alone a hit in general, is absolutely baffling.

The Idina Menzel version during the movie, or the Demi Lovato abomination that runs during the credits?

Dear God, BOTH!

Its everywhere I go lately...convenience stores, supermarkets, the gym, restaurants...I can't shake this song!!!

What bothers me the most about it is the Glee-factor, the way they attempt to make a Musical, but a modern type of thing with annoying Broadway style delivery AND THEN they add that horsecrap pop-music shellac to it and it makes me wanna puke.

I blame RENT. And then WICKED. Both complete pieces of crap.

********

Watched ROOM 237, which was less a movie as it is a display of theories surrounding Kubrick's THE SHINING. This was really fun to watch. They give as much time to Kubrick's role in the faked moon landing as they do to the floor plan of the hotel. Really awesome stuff for fans of the movie (Not QT).

Also watched WHEN THE LAST SWORD IS DRAWN, which was on that top 50 movies no one has seen post. This was awesome. I thought of it like a Dr. Zhivago samurai film, and it was really well done, well acted, and paced perfectly. Its truly an awesome story and should be seen. Its not at all like BLACK RAINBOW (also on the list) in that it doesn't aim to lobotomize you with whatthefuckdidijustsee styled tricks and gimmicks. Just a great film. Its available to stream on Netflix US.

This post has been edited by Spoilsport Stonny: 24 March 2014 - 07:08 PM

[amphibian]

The thing about Let It Go is that despite my lukewarm attitude towards it, it has a catchy melody and the lyrics deal with something that a ton of girls (and not-girls) deal with - having to repress things or stick with a public persona because of a socially imposed image.

I've seen ladies from their mid twenties on down to four year olds belting out this song and for a gamut of reasons, but all of them thought that it was something they could relate to much more than usual.

That's worthy of respect, even if I thought other songs this year were better.

[worry]

Haha that's unfortunate. I did like a lot of the non-Menzel songs in the movie though ("Love is an Open Door" particularly). And every song in Tangled was about a million times better than Let it Snow as well. Donna Murphy can really sing, as "Mother Knows Best" required an intimidating number of mood shifts throughout and she nailed them.

[worry]

@amph, you're right about the lyrics, but that's about as far as I can agree. The melody burns me.

@Stonny, I don't watch Glee but I don't necessarily mind the Glee-ification thing (as pervasive as it is lately). Nor did I hate Rent, but that was largely because of Roger and Mimi (actors names I don't know, but I like their voices). Menzel though was just as annoying then as it is now to me.

[Spoilsport Stonny]

I get why kids love the song, and some adults too. I understand its catchy and maybe even relateable; my little girls won't stop signing it, and frankly neither will my wife.

Its not really that any of them CAN or CAN'T sing. Theur voices are all pretty much pitch perfect. To me, though I absolutely just can't stand that contemporary Broadway style. It irks me. Very annoying.

EDIT: I like the Do You Want to Build a Snowman" song, though. The dude that played the Snowman was from BOOK OF MORMON.

It shows me that they absolutely tried to capture the Broadway thing with this one.

This post has been edited by Spoilsport Stonny: 24 March 2014 - 07:23 PM

[Abyss]

Spoilsport Stonny, on 24 March 2014 - 06:59 PM, said:

Abyss, on 24 March 2014 - 06:43 PM, said:

worry, on 24 March 2014 - 06:27 PM, said:

I just watched Frozen ... "Let It Go" has to be one of the all time worst Disney songs. That it's the breakout hit from this one movie, let alone a hit in general, is absolutely baffling.

...

...
What bothers me the most about it is the Glee-factor, the way they attempt to make a Musical, but a modern type of thing with annoying Broadway style delivery AND THEN they add that horsecrap pop-music shellac to it and it makes me wanna puke.

I blame RENT. And then WICKED. Both complete pieces of crap.

...

GLEE copied modern Broadway, not the other way round.

RENT and WICKED have their flaws, but gajbillions of dollars and extended runs disagree with you.

amphibian, on 24 March 2014 - 07:07 PM, said:

The thing about Let It Go is that despite my lukewarm attitude towards it, it has a catchy melody and the lyrics deal with something that a ton of girls (and not-girls) deal with ...That's worthy of respect, even if I thought other songs this year were better.

Agreed and also one of better points of the flic.

worry, on 24 March 2014 - 07:10 PM, said:

Haha that's unfortunate. I did like a lot of the non-Menzel songs in the movie though ("Love is an Open Door" particularly). And every song in Tangled was about a million times better than Let it Snow as well. Donna Murphy can really sing, as "Mother Knows Best" required an intimidating number of mood shifts throughout and she nailed them.

Tangled's music was all good, but nothing with any staying power. Let It Go is going to stand next to Be Our Guest, Colors of the Wind and those other Disney princess songs they play in department stores forever.

Spoilsport Stonny, on 24 March 2014 - 07:19 PM, said:

...
EDIT: I like the Do You Want to Build a Snowman" song, though. The dude that played the Snowman was from BOOK OF MORMON.

It shows me that they absolutely tried to capture the Broadway thing with this one.

MORMON is worth catching, btw.