TV/Movies Megathread

[celedhring]

I confused as to why phagocyte was the word chosen for this conversation.

In Spanish it also means "to absorb" in a general sense. My bad.

[Admiral Yi]

I think you just made it up.

[celedhring]

Well, just checked it and it's actually "phagocytize" and not "phagocyte" but besides that I didn't make it up.

[Queequeg]

I've met people who liked American Beauty because it was good and people who disliked American Beauty because it was bad, but never anybody who liked American Beauty because it was bad.  Which is what I take ironic liking to mean in this context.  Unlike, say, The Room...

I might be wrong.  I think people might have started to genuinely like it again without caveats. 

[garbon]

Originally he had posted a spanish-english hybrid word.

[Ideologue]

I've met people who liked American Beauty because it was good and people who disliked American Beauty because it was bad, but never anybody who liked American Beauty because it was bad.  Which is what I take ironic liking to mean in this context.  Unlike, say, The Room...

I might be wrong.  I think people might have started to genuinely like it again without caveats.

As well they should.  The American Beauty backlash was stupid.  Other than that one scene, which is easily parodied and is, one readily concedes, quite lame, it's a reasonably perfect dissection of middle-aged white male angst, with a great performance by one of our finest actors.  It's on my shelf.  Granted, it's because it was $6.  But it's a pretty excellent film.

[Sheilbh]

Yeah, I think it's fine.

[celedhring]

I like American Beauty too. Wasn't even aware there was a backlash.

[Darth Wagtaros]

The Munsters Today from 1988.  Pretty awful.

[CountDeMoney]

I like American Beauty too. Wasn't even aware there was a backlash.

It was too good, hence the backlash.  Kinda like the way that really cool band you loved for years sold out by finally making it to the radio with that one hit, and now everybody's into them and you hate that, because you were into them back before it was cool, and everybody else are just hipster posers that don't get it because they don't understand, man.

[mongers]

Downfall. Don't be a Jodl.

Watch, numbnuts winds up picking "Roman Holiday."

I'm watching 'Downfall' at this very moment. :gasp:

[Ideologue]

I think we can agree in the general assessment regarding Vertigo - it's a truly outstanding cinematic achievement that's left short by its story.

Regarding Metropolis, it is an expressionistic movie - the art movement then dominant in Germany. German Expressionism was caracterized by using cinematic technique to portray heightened emotional states - sublimating the social strife of Weimar Germany - in lightning, set design, acting... So naturally the film will look outdated, exaggerated and silly to modern audiences. American Classicism doesn't go to those extremes to paint emotion (unless you're Tim Burton), and that's what we've grown accustomed to so Metropolis does look ridiculous now. Lang would abandon this style pretty quickly, in M for example - film was still trying to figure out itself.

I actually like Expressionism when it's married to a forward-moving, entertaining plot.  Also, it helps if more than $5 (or 50,000 marks, as the case may be) were spent on the production.  Phantom of the Opera is a favorite and Ben Carre et al's design work in the picture has rarely been surpassed.

Fwiw, I think Metropolis is a pretty great piece of Expressionist production design (and to a lesser degree filmmaking).  But the tangent-laden story (and the abysmal pacing) let down the design, even though its elaborate sets appeal to me.  But if I want a silent movie with massive, expensive sets, Thief of Bagdad exists; if I want a science fiction movie with an awesome scope and more sensible politics as well as massive, expensive sets, Things To Come exists.  (And boy does it ever. )

[Sheilbh]

I've been watching Life on Mars. After getting over my disappointment that it wasn't the long dreamed of Quantum Leap reboot, I've realised it's a decent show.

[Josephus]

Downfall. Don't be a Jodl.

Watch, numbnuts winds up picking "Roman Holiday."

I'm watching 'Downfall' at this very moment. :gasp:

Hitler [spoiler]dies[/spoiler] at the end.

[Ed Anger]

Downfall. Don't be a Jodl.

Watch, numbnuts winds up picking "Roman Holiday."

I'm watching 'Downfall' at this very moment. :gasp:

Hitler [spoiler]dies[/spoiler] at the end.