TV/Movies Megathread

[Eddie Teach]

Inside Llewyn Davis. Meh. You can't really make a very good movie when it's so intertwined with dull music.

[garbon]

They already made a Left Behind movie years ago, didn't they? With Kirk Cameron as protagonist and the UN Secretary being the Antichrist? Is this the same stupid shit?

Yes.

[Ideologue]

OK, so if Interview With The Vampire got claimed by the gays, the Twilight series got co-opted by tweener girls and their soccer moms and Bram Stoker's Dracula was the porridge that was just right for mainstream moviegoers, who is Dracula Untold going to disenfranchise, other than audiences?

I already have an introductory paragraph mentally drafted, along the lines of "The best part of Bram Stoker's Dracula is its ostentatious prologue.  Wouldn't it be great if someone made a whole movie like that?  Sure, if they'd made it like that."

So, yeah, agreed: Dracula Untold is going to suck so bad.

On the other hand, October is rife with (potentially) awesome new releases: Gone Girl, John Wick, Space Station 76, Fury.  (The last will suffer from casting Aldo Raines, and I'd rather hop in my time machine and watch Fury 2: Fury in the Skies, about a B-24 crew, but I'm pretty sure it'll be great, and it's probably the closest thing to a Prokhorovka movie we'll ever get to see.)

[Ideologue]

  I've seen just about all those.  I'm a total silent movie junkie.  I can't remember if I've shared this link here before.  It's a bit old, so some of the links don't work, but the majority still do.  http://flavorwire.com/412888/20-of-the-greatest-silent-horror-films-you-can-watch-right-now

I really want to see Victor Sjöström's Körkarlen from that list; but I'm concerned that the YouTube version is going to be terrible.  Unfortunately it isn't available on Netflix.

I'm confused as to why that list has London After Midnight.  I thought it was lost?  Is what's up on Youtube the whole film, or even a coherent collection of surviving portions, or what?

[Savonarola]

I'm confused as to why that list has London After Midnight.  I thought it was lost?  Is what's up on Youtube the whole film, or even a coherent collection of surviving portions, or what?

The version I have seen (I don't know if it's the same one that's on YouTube) does the Ken Burns thing where they take the surviving stills and pan over them.  I didn't care for it.

[Ideologue]

Oh, sort of a Lost Horizon type deal then?  Except at least the audio survived for that.

[Eddie Teach]

(And how the fuck did Wolf of Wall Street get a Best Picture nomination, that movie was awful.)

Where's your sense of humor, Eddie?

Now that you mention it, many of the characters in that movie resembled the weasels when they got high. Perhaps they will die laughing one day too.

[Ideologue]

Of course, I've also heard thirdhand that even the complete London After Midnight just sucks.

[Savonarola]

Oh, sort of a Lost Horizon type deal then?  Except at least the audio survived for that.

The Frank Capra movie?    That has survived. 

[Ideologue]

Not entirely.  Quick and iirc, since I'm late for work : the original theatrical release was pared down, so a "complete" version existed for reissue and TV broadcasts and such.  BUT the footage that was cut was lost, except the audio, and when they show it now on TCM and such, they have stills that sort-of represent what's happening, with the audio talking over it like a radio play.  The last part is definitely true, because that's how I saw it, on a TCM or AMC bootleg my dad made.  It's possible that they've found the missing footage since then, but not afaik.

[Savonarola]

Not entirely.  Quick and iirc, since I'm late for work : the original theatrical release was pared down, so a "complete" version existed for reissue and TV broadcasts and such.  BUT the footage that was cut was lost, except the audio, and when they show it now on TCM and such, they have stills that sort-of represent what's happening, with the audio talking over it like a radio play.  The last part is definitely true, because that's how I saw it, on a TCM or AMC bootleg my dad made.  It's possible that they've found the missing footage since then, but not afaik.

Ah, okay, I think I remember hearing that.  I've only seen the pared down version.

[celedhring]

The version I've seen didn't have any of this sorcery, so it probably was the shorter cut, I guess.

Reminds me I have to see the supposedly disastrous 70s musical remake sometime!

[Ideologue]

Seems like it would make a fantastic musical of excess. Is it supposed to be excessive?

[celedhring]

Seems like it would make a fantastic musical of excess. Is it supposed to be excessive?

No idea, all I know is that's supposedly very racially insensitive with Shangri-La becoming a paradise where people of all races become servants to white spoilt people, and generally being an awful musical.

It's just that I really like the original - when you sort of step back from it it's probably a questionable film but Capra really did a great job filling it with intensity and engaging you in the premise, Tiomkin's soundtrack really helps too.

[mongers]

Top Gear team filming in Argentina face protests:

Protests cut short Top Gear shoot

The crew of BBC's Top Gear have left Argentina after facing protests over a number plate which appeared to refer to the 1982 Falklands War.

The team, including host Jeremy Clarkson, have been filming in South America for a Top Gear special.

The show apparently provoked anger among locals by using a Porsche with the registration number H982 FKL.

The BBC confirmed the show's decision to leave, but denied the offending car was chosen for its number plate.

The BBC said the number plate was an "unfortunate coincidence"

Andy Wilman, executive producer for Top Gear, said on Thursday: "Top Gear production purchased three cars for a forthcoming programme; to suggest that this car was either chosen for its number plate, or that an alternative number plate was substituted for the original is completely untrue."
.....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-29474422

Yep entirely coincidental that the cars numberplate looks like this: