TV/Movies Megathread

[Tonitrus]

Now don't get me wrong, there are some very enjoyable 50's style westerns. Hell it's what I grew up on.

the gunfighter
The searchers
Liberty valiance

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance wasn't made in the 50s.  And it's definately deconstructionist, though probably not revisionist.  Though to be honest, if you think that having moral ambiguity in a Western is revisionist, a lot of the Duke's work in the 50s has some degree of revisionism to it (The Searchers would be a good example).  Same thing with the Westerns Stewart made in the 50s with Anthony Mann, and some of Stewart's later Westerns as well.

I liked The Cheyenne Social Club.

[KRonn]

I saw the remake of Magnificent Seven. It was pretty good, they did a good job with it. The Revenant was a good film. A different take on the usual Western as it was about mountain men or trapper types. The Hateful Eight was ok but a nasty group of characters.

[Oexmelin]

Im looking forward to Bale's comeback as a drunken old Batman.

See: Logan.

[KRonn]

Im looking forward to Bale's comeback as a drunken old Batman.

See: Logan.

I just saw that recently. I'm not all that into the X-Men but it was pretty good.

[jimmy olsen]

I have this vague impression that the Superhero movies of today will be the Westerns of tomorrow. Really popular genre that have become so formulaic that only a few examples of the genre will survive. Most of them are utterly forgettable, even if enjoyable, and those that aren't already feel as if they can no longer take themselves seriously. But even then, I am having a hard time of thinking of superhero movies with remarkable cinematography. Burton's first Batman? Dark Knight, Watchmen? perhaps?

Funny to think in a bungalow in the year 2060 a little old lady is sat watching old school 3D superhero movies whilst her grandkids yawn and count the minutes tick by.

Im looking forward to Bale's comeback as a drunken old Batman.

A Batman Beyond movie would be cool

[dps]

Now don't get me wrong, there are some very enjoyable 50's style westerns. Hell it's what I grew up on.

the gunfighter
The searchers
Liberty valiance

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance wasn't made in the 50s.  And it's definately deconstructionist, though probably not revisionist.  Though to be honest, if you think that having moral ambiguity in a Western is revisionist, a lot of the Duke's work in the 50s has some degree of revisionism to it (The Searchers would be a good example).  Same thing with the Westerns Stewart made in the 50s with Anthony Mann, and some of Stewart's later Westerns as well.

I liked The Cheyenne Social Club.

Yeah, but I was thinking more about films like Firecreek.  It's a bit problematic trying to discuss The Cheyenne Social Club or any other comedy in terms of deconstruction/revisionism.

[Savonarola]

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume II (2017)

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

The middle third of the film is a mess; but the beginning and end were well done.  It reminded me a little of a John Woo film in that there's a whole message of family (it would be brotherhood in a John Woo movie) in between scenes of horrific violence.  I also liked the art deco motif the Sovereign have; if I was a... ... whatever it is the Sovereign are supposed to be; that's the design I would go for.

Looking at IMDB I see the Sovereign were inspired by "She".  So if I were the love-sick ruthless leader of a technologically advanced mysterious remote mountain community I would totally go for the art deco look.

[KRonn]

I loved Guardians of the Galaxy I, but haven't seen the second movie yet.

[Savonarola]

The Boss Baby (2017)

Nominated for "Best Animated Feature," in what I assume is a weak field this year.  Some of the animation is impressive; but really this would just be another Keep-The-Kids-Quiet-For-90-Minutes film from Dreamworks, except the Boss Baby is voiced by Alec Baldwin.  (Put that cookie down!  Cookies are for closers.)  Who knew that the greatest actor in the world was also the greatest voice actor in the world?  (Coco is still a much better movie; I expect that will walk away with the Oscar.)

[Savonarola]

I loved Guardians of the Galaxy I, but haven't seen the second movie yet.

I think the first one was a better movie; but this one was still entertaining.

[celedhring]

I loved Guardians of the Galaxy I, but haven't seen the second movie yet.

I think the first one was a better movie; but this one was still entertaining.

Gotta agree, first one felt more cohesive and focused. The sequel had some funny moments though. The Sovereign and Taserface were hilarious.

The

[Savonarola]

Logan Sings!  The Greatest Showman (2017)

You call that a freak show?  I've seen Spaghetti Westerns with more circus midgets than that! 



Somehow Hollywood made a 1950s musical in 2017.  This is a highly fictionalized account of PT Barnum's life (oh Jenny Lind, you are such a wicked, wicked seductress,) but if you went to see an all-singing, all-dancing movie about PT Barnum, of all people, and expected veracity you deserve what you get.  Like a 50s musical the movie is a little short on plot or character development; but the singing and dancing more than make up for that.  The real standout song (which has been nominated for an Oscar) is "This is Me."

It's obvious that the choreography was heavily influenced by Michael Jackson; which I thought was funny since Jacko was influenced by PT Barnum.  All that stuff about him sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber or being best friends with Muscles the boa constrictor came about because he read a book about PT Barnum.  (The later allegations about child molesting, however, just happened on their own.)

If you like being offended this movie is for you.  Either you'll be outraged that they brought 21st century identity politics to Civil War era New York; or you'll be outraged that PT Barnum isn't sufficiently chastised for exploiting circus freaks.  That they made a movie that offends both sides of the cultural divide might be the most Barnum thing in the film.

A lot of critics didn't like this; I think because we live in a world where musicals are supposed to be like "Chicago" or "La La Land" not "Singin' in the Rain."  If you do like the classic Hollywood musicals you'll probably like this.

[The Brain]

Who plays Jenny Lind?

[Savonarola]

Who plays Jenny Lind?

Rebecca Ferguson, (Loren Allred does the singing)

[The Brain]

Who plays Jenny Lind?

Rebecca Ferguson, (Loren Allred does the singing)

Nice.