TV/Movies Megathread

[Savonarola]

L'Atalante is wonderful, but I could never find anything else by Vigo.

Criterion released all four of his films on a single disc (available through Netflix).  I'm watching Zero de Conduite next.

[viper37]

American Hustle.

Wow.  What a dress.  I don't think I can sleep tonight.

[Ideologue]

You've zeroed in on the one undeniably good thing about the movie, anyway.

[Queequeg]

Amy Adams was great.

[Ideologue]

So now I can finally put 2013 behind me!

2013 in review (the middle 80)
2013 in review (the top 10)
2013 in review (the worst 10)

Happy New Year everyone!

[katmai]

[Ideologue]

[Eddie Teach]

I have seen none* of the movies in your top 10 but 3 of the ones in your bottom 10.  Of those, only 2 Guns really belongs. RIPD and Star Trek 2 are both passable films.


*halfway through Gatsby though, dvr'd it recently.

[Syt]

2013 in review (the worst 10)

I've recently watched Confused Matthew's review of Star Trek: Into Darkness. I normally don't agree with his reviews (but watch them anyways, to get a different perspective/opinion on things), but I thought this time he was pretty spot on. The first act sets up all kinds of interesting conflicts (Kirk having to act more rational and obey orders - leading to problems when the orders are questionable, Spock realizing that following the rules all the time may hurt his friendships, Section 31 and its impact on the peaceful Federation, etc.).

But hardly any of this is really followed through for maximum impact, and instead it gets bogged down in mindless action.

[Ideologue]

Eddie: Not even Gravity?  Sir, you missed out.

Eddie & Syt: Star Trek 12 is a funny one because it is sort of entertaining up until the last thirty minutes (and as I note, it has a just wonderful opening sequence) but its descent into reference in lieu of narrative is so offensive, I had to put it near the bottom.  And it wasn't till Sound Studio that I saw a movie that I felt held its audience in more contempt than Star Trek 12.

[Ideologue]

Oh, and RIPD is passable like a kidney stone.  Actually, that's unfair: kidney stones are interesting.

[Eddie Teach]

I still get a chuckle out of picturing Jeff Bridges as a hot chick.

[Ideologue]

JBILF.

[frunk]

Eddie: Not even Gravity?  Sir, you missed out.

Eddie & Syt: Star Trek 12 is a funny one because it is sort of entertaining up until the last thirty minutes (and as I note, it has a just wonderful opening sequence) but its descent into reference in lieu of narrative is so offensive, I had to put it near the bottom.  And it wasn't till Sound Studio that I saw a movie that I felt held its audience in more contempt than Star Trek 12.

I think I mentioned this before, but what I like about Into Darkness is the commentary that [spoiler]Spock is a better hero than Kirk, since he saves the day and rescues his comrade[/spoiler].  I'm not sure this could be achieved nearly so well without descending into reference.  It helps that I find Pine's Kirk to have all of Shatner's smugness and none of his charm (a problem I lay on the direction not the actor), so having him be shown up, even if only through reference, is a delight.

[Ideologue]

Yeah, but that happens in Star Trek II as well, except it's nuanced and stuff.  Kirk fucks up bad when he lets the Reliant close in.  Spock saves everybody.  It's entirely Kirk's fault (and one wonders if, were Star Trek more realistic, he'd have faced a career setback even without the actual treason in ST:III).