EnMasse

Raos · Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2009 6:20 am Post subject:

Speaking of stunning visuals in movies (I'd've thought 2012 was a write off, but I might see it for the aesthetics), I really want to see Avatar. Has anybody seen it yet?

elmateo · Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2009 6:24 am Post subject:

I just saw Avatar. Amazingly beautiful, great in 3d. Has a staring cameo for Canadian mining company, including hired murdering mercenaries. The pover all plot makes the film more of a popcorn blockbuster than a political allegory, and some of the dialogue isn't that well scripted. But if you are going to make an action sci-fi flic with fancy graphics, this film at least was made with a decent underlying message and theme. There are some almost moving scenes, never really peaked for me (but I never got a peak out of Titanic, particularly when Jack went under the water so I'm not a good 'judge' of how these things are received broadly).

In the end I would highly recommend it as a piece of entertainment. Well worth the effort to see it in theatres because it is visually stunning on the big screen.

Legless_Marine · Fulltime enMasse Member Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 575

Just saw Hancock last night, a light action movie from 2008.

This movie is a brilliant take on the superhero theme with Will Smith as an alcoholic, impulsive, and shiftless version of Superman. He's got super strength, invulnerability, flight, and can hardly see, or fly straight.

The opening sequence shows him scraping his hungover self off of a park bench to help stop criminals fleeing a robbery in a car. He grabs a bottle of liquor, and proceeds to do drunken-flying across the city, careening through billboards, and inadvertently causing car accidents. By the time he's apprehended and neutralized the baddies, he's caused 9 million dollars in accidental damage to the city.

I won't say much more about the movie, except that it's fun, has a few delightful surprises, and is ultimately satisfying.

Highly recommended fun-flick.
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ronb · Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 4:53 pm Post subject:

Read? Meh. Why not just watch the Academy Award winning short film of Occurance at Owl Creek, later aired as a Twilight Zone episode?

Legless_Marine · Fulltime enMasse Member Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 575

"My dinner with Andre" revolves around a dinner conversation between two wanna-be new York playrights.

Andre dominates the conversation, boorishly monologuing about his experiences with new age navel gazing in the forest, and dabblings in eastern mysticism. The other occasionally interjects with meekly delivered agreement or disagreement, but offers little substance. Both of them seem creepily obsessed with Nazi related themes.

I found myself feeling bad for both of these characters. I felt bad for myself for watching. It just felt bad.

This film was a huge avant-garde hit in 1981. Perhaps in the context of that time, the ideas and conversation within it were seen as relevant, enlightening, or interesting.

Watching this film from the 21st century, however, it seems irrelevant and tiresome.
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Enjoying a high standard of living thanks to cheap energy and slave labor - Just like you!

voice of the damned · Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 7:12 pm Post subject:

I'm somewhat ambivalent about Wallace Shawn. He seems more like a cinematic conversation-piece than a genuine personality. I guess he's been adequate enough in some of the roles I've seen him in, but I can't escape the suspicion that he's gotten to where he is mostly by being the son of a famous editor, and being well-connected.

thwap · Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 2:25 pm Post subject:

Well, i saw that "Avatar" movie. Fun to watch.

But it was also really nice to see such an obvious attack on US-imperialism.

There was nothing subtle about it. I recognize the irony of a blockbuster high-tech Hollywood movie criticizing corporate and militarist values, but i think putting something like this into the psyche of the population as a whole will produce serious pay-offs in the long-run.

Having the cigar-chomping marine col. yammering about "fighting terror with terror" in response to the natives' rallying to defend their planet, and having another character describe the massive bomb being dropped on the sacred site as "Shock and Awe" was such a clear stab at the bush II regime.

And the whole thing, about how the natives had to move (or be destroyed) so that the alien corporation could get at the mineral resources beneath their village, that's the whole system right there.

I remember how strongly "Star Wars" affected me as a youngster. I gotta think there were some impressionable youngsters in the audience who got the adrenalin rush from the special-effects action but ALSO took away this more coherent anti-corporate plunder anti-militarism message.
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F. · Fulltime enMasse Member Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 2578

elmateo · Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 7:20 pm Post subject:

Avatar is a much better analogy for any capitalist extractive imperialism, and I would not hesitate to make allusions to Canadian mining companies who are probably a more apt comparison than George Bush's Iraq war. This week another anti-mining activist was killed by mercenaries hired by Canadian mining companies - this time in El Salvador.

http://upsidedownworld.org/main/content/view/2266/74/

Though it is trivial to say "this is more like this than that" - so I am not debating, but merely pointing out that Canada has such an ugly and imperialist character in the world that we should not get caught up to forget this to make allusions to George Bush. Bush is a character of imperialism, and as an absolute character he can easily be taken to distract to focus on the character rather than the imperialism. Imperialists come in many shapes and forms, and Canadian mining companies, in their disregard for local communities, the environment, and their willingness to kill for profit, are another character of imperialism.

My friend and colleague is preparing a paper on Canadian imperialism, and went to Avatar with me. Every time the mining company executive spoke, it sounded more like the Canadian miner, backed by the avarice of international imperial capital, than anything else I could recall.

Raos · Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 8:25 pm Post subject:

Just saw Avatar last night, and I'll add my voice to the chorus of how awesome the social commentary is.

voice of the damned · Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2009 9:36 pm Post subject:

F. · Fulltime enMasse Member Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 2578

Shawn's plays are pretty good if you like Edward Albee. Shawn's a bit more brainy, maybe not quite as moving. You could successfully accuse Shawn of liberal guilt more than you could Albee.

voice of the damned · Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 6:41 pm Post subject:

F. · Fulltime enMasse Member Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 2578

voice of the damned · Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 7:08 pm Post subject:

Cartman · Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 7:37 pm Post subject:

I watched Star Trek last week. What a total fucking piece of peanut-filled dog shit. That was truly the worst movie I have ever watched in my life. I want my money back.

Tehanu · Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 10:55 pm Post subject:

Peanut-filled dog shit? Where does that come from? I hope you haven't been feeding your dogs weird stuff ... Razz

I was going to see Avatar today but (and I really should have been able to predict this) it was sold out for hours and hours. So I went to the bookstore instead.

Maestro · Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 1:13 am Post subject:

An interesting political film, "In The Loop". The story of a minor minister in the UK goverment who gives an unthinking answer to a question at the tail end of an interview. The question had nothing to do with his ministry, and the answer was extremely vague.

However, the prime minister's chief of staff (not explicitly stated in the movie, but someone who has the power to appoint and un-appoint) hears the interview and thinks the minister has overstepped the bounds.

The minister's comment is also heard in the US, where a particular faction in the State Department thinks they can use it to bolster their own agenda.

This leads to 'complications' (to put it mildly), and a lot of backing and forthing between various factions and the lower level staff who work for the higher ups.

An excellent view of what goes on behind the curtain, as well as a wicked commentary on how things are decided.

Warning! The language is fierce and unrelenting. More profanity per second than any movie I've ever seen.
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academentia · Member Joined: 03 Aug 2007 Posts: 11

If you enjoyed In the Loop, there's a related but not-of-the-same storyline TV series called "The Thick of It" -- many of the same characters, and the same interesting, behind-the-curtain and full of swearing style.

There are three 'seasons' out now.

Maestro · Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 3:43 am Post subject:

Rufus Polson · Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 7:33 am Post subject:

voice of the damned · Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 7:02 pm Post subject:

Well, Rufus, to save myself the dreaded penalty, I will promise, if ever cajoled in watching TPB again, to keep your comments foremost in my open mind.

The other night I watched Before The Devil Knows You're Dead. I quite enjoyed it. A couple of critical comments(and spoilers)...

-the "family drama" stuff following the funeral didn't really work for me. I can understand that the father, who didn't know the true facts of the murder, would want to discuss his family's problems with the son at a time like that. However, it seemed less than plausible that Philip Seymour Hoffman would be as into the discussion as he seemed to be, given that he was lugging around the knowledge that he was responsible for the death of his own mother. I think he'd he'd be barely able to focus on anything besides what he had just done, and what he was going to do next.

-While admittedly I have never been involved in heroin purchases, the scenes at the dealer's apartment just didn't ring credible to me. The shooting gallery seemed more like a posh medical clinic than a venue for consumming illegal drugs. I guess that since the guy was using his own apartment as his store, he'd want to keep things nice and clean, but still, it seemed kind of odd.

-Even with the knowledge of what had taken place, I don't know if the Albert Finney character would have quite so automatically made the decision to kill his own son. Granted, this was a pretty extreme situation he was involved in, but I think most average law-abaiding people would just swallow the horrifying truth and go to the police.

Other than that, it was quite good, much more believable than your average "caper" flick.

F. · Fulltime enMasse Member Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 2578

For me, the real story was that Lumet could crank out a tight thriller at age 83. I've seen so many crime films by guys half his age that weren't nearly as well made. coughGuyRitchiecough.

voice of the damned · Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 9:05 pm Post subject:

anne cameron · Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 9:25 pm Post subject:

Geez...maybe just a tad age-ist??

Hephaestion · Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 10:19 pm Post subject:

I just saw "Blindness" the other day. Awesome flick. Anyone else seen it?
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"The dignity of an animal is measured by his capacity to revolt in the face of oppression." -- Mikhail Bakunin

Raos · Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 10:25 pm Post subject:

I saw it, I'm not sure I'd quite call it awesome. It certainly had its brutal moments.

Hephaestion · Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 10:35 pm Post subject:

It was, in the same sense that "Grapes of Wrath" or Lord of the Flies" was. It achieves what it sets out to do. (The screenplay was by Canadian Don McKellar, btw.)

Good write-up here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blindness_(film)
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"The dignity of an animal is measured by his capacity to revolt in the face of oppression." -- Mikhail Bakunin

The Evil Twin · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 1:33 am Post subject:

F. · Fulltime enMasse Member Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 2578

The Evil Twin · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 2:52 am Post subject:

Legless_Marine · Fulltime enMasse Member Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 575

Legless_Marine · Fulltime enMasse Member Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 575

Knowing (2009):

What a delightful film. To say too much about this film is to risk ruining it, however, a recap of the opening sequences sufficiently sets the stage:

The film opens in 1959, with a class of students making drawings to leave in the school's time capsule. Creepy little Lucinda, apparently in a trance, writes a page-long sequence of numbers. When forced to stop by her teacher, she disappears to the basement, where she resumes her numerological spew, in blood, on the wall of a janitor closet.

Fast forward 50 years, when the son of an MIT professor obtains the list of numbers after the school unearths the time capsule. The prof soon realizes that the list contains coded prophecies of major disasters.

Highly recommended. A first class sci-fi/paranormal thriller.
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Enjoying a high standard of living thanks to cheap energy and slave labor - Just like you!

Rufus Polson · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 9:49 am Post subject:

So does this delightful film have a name, or is its paranormal power such that if you just think about it in the video store and reach out at random, you'll get the right one? Wink

voice of the damned · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 12:02 pm Post subject:

SPOILERS AHEAD

I believe that film was called Knowing, and yeah, it was quite delightful, even with its rather literal rendition of the creation myth at the end.

F. · Fulltime enMasse Member Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 2578

I don't know if "restrained" is the right word, but Nicolas Cage's performance in Knowing was subdued compared to, say, Bad Lieutenant. In fact, he seemed almost comatose at times. Kind of a welcome change from his normal over-acting.

Legless_Marine · Fulltime enMasse Member Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 575

voice of the damned · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 8:18 pm Post subject:

Hephaestion · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 8:58 pm Post subject:

thwap · Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 3:18 pm Post subject:

elmateo · Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 4:25 pm Post subject:

Isn't that also a function of cultural perception, as to what could be considered 'wowing'?

Cartman · Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 5:49 pm Post subject:

elmateo · Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 7:14 pm Post subject:

I'm glad it wasn't just me who was thinking that. He was campy and cheesy without having any of the good qualities those acting styles should bring with them. Which is to say, it was simply bad acting.

I remain mystified who was talking about that film going for an Oscar. I was not interested or intrigued by the characters and the gratuitous violence remains a stupid device. I do not find it an intelligent comment on society or popular culture.

voice of the damned · Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 7:39 pm Post subject:

anne cameron · Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 7:43 pm Post subject:

The only time Brad Pitt demonstrated any sort of acting talent was when he played the grifter in "Thelma and Louise", and then it was the women carried his performance.

He's a pouty-mouthed prettyboy. I haven't seen his "basterds" film and I won't, but the previews on the TV certainly betray his inability to do a southern accent.

As for Tarantino...puh-leeeeze, if we're to have a serious discussion about film we cannot, in all honesty, include that git nor any of his messy work.

He needs a rubber room.

not that I feel strongly about it, you understand...and one of these days I'll tell you how I really feel...

Hephaestion · Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 7:51 pm Post subject:

Oooo! They're making a film version of "Eagle of the Ninth" -- this I wanna see! (I hope they don't wreck it!)
_________________
"The dignity of an animal is measured by his capacity to revolt in the face of oppression." -- Mikhail Bakunin

F. · Fulltime enMasse Member Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 2578

elmateo · Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 4:33 am Post subject:

The word limit is the character limit of a text message so that you can both text it in and receive the updates on your (non-email powered) cellphone. It is instant broadcasting of short bursts of text whenever/wherever to a potential wide range of people. Its stupid and powerful at the same time.

Legless_Marine · Fulltime enMasse Member Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 575

anne cameron · Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 5:04 am Post subject:

It's actually funny (but not funny ha ha) and sad that in a discussion centering around film, we would write as if Tarantino and Sidney Lumet were somehow colleagues or equals or...

As F pointed out, Tarantino has never had an original idea in his entire career. Whereas Lumet specializes in original ideas, focus, and interpretation. He's a genius at re-examining things we thought we "Knew"...

And while I am more than willing to accept that age can have a deteriorating effect on our capabilities, and especially on the energy level required to be creative for hours, days, weeks at a time, I don't accept any suggestion that Lumet, regardless of his age, has been reduced to such a point that he is to be compared to Tarantino.

What I see (and remember, please, I'm damned near as old as Lumet!), is that we are in a period of frittering, of ditzing around with toys, and of being easily distracted by the latest gimcrack or gizmo. There's no way I could walk into the classroom and discuss Facebook or Twitter or , for that matter, the relative merits of Wii and X-box... I know fuck all about any of that. We don't even have cell phone coverage in Tahsis, the mountains have spared us that infliction. Thank you, mountains.

I suspect many creative young people are going into the production of computer games, learning about computer programming, about writing programmes, about animation, and not going into the more traditional genre's like writing novels or scripts for feature film.

And perhaps it's just as well because at the risk of sounding like an old bat, I will ask where, pray tell, are the real actors today? We're up to our assholes in asshole characters played by "stars" who were unknown two years ago.

Distraction, momentary entertainment, immediate gratification, and surface fluff abound, and the Oscars this year are going to be ludicrous (not that they have ever been particularly meaningful).

I have never been a fan of animation, I think my sense of "taste" was developed at a time when animation was referred to as "cartoons". I often watch what I'm told are award winning animations from the NFB and my response is usually "oh fer fucks sake"...

I want a plot with a solid story line, I want character development and I want actors, not "stars"... with the result I don't even rent the "latest hits" and I sure as hell wouldn't drive three hours over mountain gravel roads to go to Campbell River to see Brad Pitt making yet another fool of himself with a cheesy accent and some self important preening.

Ah, but we know about us old geezers, eh...we're stubborn as hell, and will probably never accept Tarantino as a peer of Lumet!

Now , as a peer of that creepy fuck Polanski, yeah, but...