TV/Movies Megathread

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

Utahraptor wasn't named at the time of the novel's or film's conception, nor was Achillobator. As Tim said, the inspiration was likely Deinonychus, another dromaeosaurid which was pretty big (still blown up for the film).  I wasn't aware of its taxonomic history in regards a brief association with the Velociraptor genus, which kinda fucks up a theory I raised in my Jurassic Park review series, although I still think I'm basically correct that the big reason "velociraptor" was chosen was because it sounds cool. As does deinonychus, but quick, pluralize deinonychus...

Not likely, actually: http://news.yale.edu/2015/06/18/yale-s-legacy-jurassic-world

[Ideologue]

Good find. I was pretty much on the nose then. Although I wished it'd confirmed Crichton specifically objected to the inelegant plural.

I liked the part where Ostrom says "It means terrible claw! What more do you want!"

[Savonarola]

The Artist (2011)

The single greatest movie made since "Modern Times"!!!!






The first forty-five minutes of the film (where it's mostly comedy,) are great.  After that the film takes a turn into drama, and there the film runs into trouble. There the story becomes dull and repetitive.  There's a payoff at the end; but getting there is trying.

George Valentin is supposed to be a Douglas Fairbanks/John Gilbert hybrid; but I thought he looked a lot more like Adolph Menjou, especially with the suits.

The silent film Valentin makes might have been a hit overseas in1929.  1929 was the year of "Pandora's Box" in Germany (as well as "Arsenal" and "Man with the Movie Camera" in the Soviet Union.)  Even as late as 1931 what remained of Stroheim's "Queen Kelly" was released in Europe.

[Liep]

They're making a movie about the national team that won the EC '92. From the trailer it seems to idolize the coach that no one really liked until he died a few years ago...

[Valmy]

Just like politicians. They are total scum until they die. Then they were heroes who we wish the scum of the current generation could live up to.

[Duque de Bragança]

The Artist (2011)

The single greatest movie made since "Modern Times"!!!!






The first forty-five minutes of the film (where it's mostly comedy,) are great.  After that the film takes a turn into drama, and there the film runs into trouble. There the story becomes dull and repetitive.  There's a payoff at the end; but getting there is trying.

George Valentin is supposed to be a Douglas Fairbanks/John Gilbert hybrid; but I thought he looked a lot more like Adolph Menjou, especially with the suits.

The silent film Valentin makes might have been a hit overseas in1929.  1929 was the year of "Pandora's Box" in Germany (as well as "Arsenal" and "Man with the Movie Camera" in the Soviet Union.)  Even as late as 1931 what remained of Stroheim's "Queen Kelly" was released in Europe.

I was expecting a movie review telling that Mel Brooks did it much better with Silent Movie.  

[viper37]

Ex-Machina.

Not bad, but the movie is so predictable and simplistic that you're left empty after watching this.  Still the way it is shot, the constant contrast between the vast, open space exterior and the claustrophobic inside is worth watching in itself.  There are artistice merit to this movie, sure, but that does not warrant rewatching it later, in a few years.

[Ideologue]

I dunno, I got the blu-ray preordered. Pretty handily best film of the year so far. It is predictable, true, but most horror movies seeking to advance an atmosphere of doom will be predictable in their broad strokes. I mean, The Fly is predictable, just for one example. And even then it goes further than I'd expected. Love that movie.

[viper37]

I dunno, I got the blu-ray preordered. Pretty handily best film of the year so far. It is predictable, true, but most horror movies seeking to advance an atmosphere of doom will be predictable in their broad strokes. I mean, The Fly is predictable, just for one example. And even then it goes further than I'd expected. Love that movie.

Yeah, but usually, we slam a movie because it is über predictable.  From the 2nd power outage on, you know exactly where this is going.  It kinda ruins the fun for me.  I mean, with the Avengers, you know the good guys are going to win, but you don't know how.  In Ex Machina, you know everything.

[Duque de Bragança]

Powaqqatsi (1988)

The second of the qatsi trilogy; this deals with the transition from the traditional way to industrialization in the third world.  The cinematography is gorgeous again.  I prefer the soundtrack in Koyaaniquatsi, but this is still a fine work by Philip Glass.

The film was brought to us by (of all people) Golan-Globus.  Really.  The same people who brought us classics like "The American Ninja" series and "Enter the Ninja" made an art house film.

Golan-Globus actually indulged in vanity/art house projects more often than not. Sometimes for a good result, with Cassavetes, with Love Streams, or Barbet Schroeder's Barfly, sometimes for the worst, Godard and his King Lear. Very experimental, even by Godard's standards of the '80s.
Even Zefirelli said good things about the Go-go boys when they allowed him to produce Othello.

[Savonarola]

The Artist (2011)

The single greatest movie made since "Modern Times"!!!!






The first forty-five minutes of the film (where it's mostly comedy,) are great.  After that the film takes a turn into drama, and there the film runs into trouble. There the story becomes dull and repetitive.  There's a payoff at the end; but getting there is trying.

George Valentin is supposed to be a Douglas Fairbanks/John Gilbert hybrid; but I thought he looked a lot more like Adolph Menjou, especially with the suits.

The silent film Valentin makes might have been a hit overseas in1929.  1929 was the year of "Pandora's Box" in Germany (as well as "Arsenal" and "Man with the Movie Camera" in the Soviet Union.)  Even as late as 1931 what remained of Stroheim's "Queen Kelly" was released in Europe.

I was expecting a movie review telling that Mel Brooks did it much better with Silent Movie.  

It's been a long time since I've seen Silent Movie.  I don't remember it being one of Mel Brooks' better films. 

[Savonarola]

The only one I think that really works is the first one. Glass tooks too much of center stage in the sequels; first one is a perfect marriage of picture and sound; Koyaaniquatsi is more about Glass' music with some nice pictures to accompany it.

Disclaimer: Phillip Glass' music gets on my tits.

I like Philip Glass's music, but I agree that only Koyaaniqatsi where the film and music seem to work together.  I thought the visuals were stunning in Powaqqatsi; but I didn't think the music was some of his better.  I thought the music was great in Naqoyqatsi; but the visuals were uninteresting.

I loved the translation of Naqoyqatsi as "Civilized Violence;" I might steal that phrase someday. 

[Savonarola]

Golan-Globus actually indulged in vanity/art house projects more often than not. Sometimes for a good result, with Cassavetes, with Love Streams, or Barbet Schroeder's Barfly, sometimes for the worst, Godard and his King Lear. Very experimental, even by Godard's standards of the '80s.
Even Zefirelli said good things about the Go-go boys when they allowed him to produce Othello.

I didn't know that; I had only heard of Golan-Globus from the fine films I had mentioned before.  So when I saw their logo at the end I went 

[lustindarkness]

So last night I watch A Million Ways to Die in the West. Well done, had a story, it had some funny stuff, good cameos and cast, but I have yet to decide if I actually liked it or not.

[Duque de Bragança]

Golan-Globus actually indulged in vanity/art house projects more often than not. Sometimes for a good result, with Cassavetes, with Love Streams, or Barbet Schroeder's Barfly, sometimes for the worst, Godard and his King Lear. Very experimental, even by Godard's standards of the '80s.
Even Zefirelli said good things about the Go-go boys when they allowed him to produce Othello.

I didn't know that; I had only heard of Golan-Globus from the fine films I had mentioned before.  So when I saw their logo at the end I went 

A couple of documentaries have shed light on Golan-Globus recently. An unofficial one, Electric Bugaloo and an official one, The Go-go Boys, made by themselves when they learned a documentary was made about them, in true Cannon fashion cf. Lambada movies  Long story short, they almost made it as a major studio, but some bad choices coupled with the Wall Street crash crippled them and they never recovered. Plus some shady Italian financier powered by a French bank (back then nationalised).
I preferred the unofficial one, which featured some experts analysing and discussing the finer points of films such as Invasion U.S.A, by pointing the good in it (!) while acknowledging its serious limitations.