TV/Movies Megathread

[Ideologue]

Meh.  People were a little overzealous to condemn Exodus: Gods and Kings (it's basically ok) and they just didn't get The Counselor (which was one of the best movies of 2013, although it wasn't clearly made for anybody but Cormac McCarthy, Ridley Scott, and Tony's ghost--though, anyway, I imagine Tony would've enjoyed it).  Prometheus, admittedly, might be dumb as balls, and is a bad movie on that basis, but it's a matter for debate how much of that is Ridley Scott's fault, and it looks great.  The Martian, to my understanding, has a very solid basis for its screenplay; so I see no reason why The Martian won't be just fine, and it's one of the four movies I'm still looking forward to this year.

Also, the Kingdom of Heaven extended cut is fantastic.  FYI.

[garbon]

Or the real issue might be that The Counselor was just bad.

[celedhring]

Ridley Scott is the quintessential example of a director that's as good as the script he gets. He won't elevate mediocre material, but when he gets a good story he's a fantastic visualist.

His problem is that he, indeed, doesn't seem to have as good an eye for stories as he has for visuals.

[Syt]

Scott is to me the director who peaked early. His second and third movies were Alien and Blade Runner. His later movies weren't all bad and I like a fair few of them - but I feel he never again reached those heights.

[jimmy olsen]

Scott is to me the director who peaked early. His second and third movies were Alien and Blade Runner. His later movies weren't all bad and I like a fair few of them - but I feel he never again reached those heights.

He directed Gladiator, didn't he? That movie was awesome

[Syt]

It's a fun movie, but it's nowhere near as seminal as Alien/Blade Runner were.

[The Brain]

The Duellists is great. Well at least very good.

Gladiator is meh.

[Martinus]

So, I havent seen any of the movies in the series so here's the question - should I watch the Hunger Games? I understand this is pop culture so I am not expecting high brow philosophy, just solid entertainment - so is this closer to Harry Potter (good) or Twilight (bad)?

[Martinus]

Meh.  People were a little overzealous to condemn Exodus: Gods and Kings (it's basically ok) and they just didn't get The Counselor (which was one of the best movies of 2013, although it wasn't clearly made for anybody but Cormac McCarthy, Ridley Scott, and Tony's ghost--though, anyway, I imagine Tony would've enjoyed it).  Prometheus, admittedly, might be dumb as balls, and is a bad movie on that basis, but it's a matter for debate how much of that is Ridley Scott's fault, and it looks great.  The Martian, to my understanding, has a very solid basis for its screenplay; so I see no reason why The Martian won't be just fine, and it's one of the four movies I'm still looking forward to this year.

Also, the Kingdom of Heaven extended cut is fantastic.  FYI.

I tried watching Exodus, but hated the Pharaoh character - he looked like a thug.

I did enjoy Gladiator a lot, though the awesome soundtrack may take at least some of the credit for that.

I liked Kingdom of Heaven.

[Ideologue]

So, I havent seen any of the movies in the series so here's the question - should I watch the Hunger Games? I understand this is pop culture so I am not expecting high brow philosophy, just solid entertainment - so is this closer to Harry Potter (good) or Twilight (bad)?

People certainly seem to enjoy the Hunger Games series, so go nuts.  I think they're worse than Twilight overall.  Jennifer Lawrence is terrible in them, the stories of at least the first two are very bad (but particularly the first), and the filmmaking of the first one is rankly amateurish and ugly, whereas the filmmaking of the second is merely mediocre and basically watchable.

The Harry Potter movies are certainly much better.

[Ideologue]

Also, Joel Edgerton's Rameses is pretty definitely one of Exodus' weak links.

(Exodus might be perceived as better if The Ten Commandments didn't already exist, and wasn't better in every single conceivable way.)

[lustindarkness]

Ide does not like the Hunger Games movies? I guess I should watch them then.

[Eddie Teach]

So, I havent seen any of the movies in the series so here's the question - should I watch the Hunger Games? I understand this is pop culture so I am not expecting high brow philosophy, just solid entertainment - so is this closer to Harry Potter (good) or Twilight (bad)?

The first two were pretty interesting. The third was kind of meh. Haven't seen the finale yet.

Much better than Divergent. I can't speak for Twilight, as I haven't seen it.

[Ideologue]

Ide does not like the Hunger Games movies? I guess I should watch them then.

You sound like an idiot.

[lustindarkness]

Ide does not like the Hunger Games movies? I guess I should watch them then.

You sound like an idiot.

I look like one too.