The Movies

[Mark Rippetoe]

I have, and I agree, the shaky-cam may simulate how fights look and are experienced by those engaged in them but they make it hard as Hell to discern what is going on to a 3rd party observer (the movie audience in this case) trying to figger out just what is going on. I like to be able to pick apart the stuff happening. The camera cuts make even dropping it to slow motion difficult to pick this stuff up.

The other movies were an improvement by dropping the shaky-cam in this respect, but I guess the cuts and change in point of view still make it hard for me. My processor is slowing down.

But you're still a Martial Arts Expert, so there's that.

[Mark E. Hurling]

But you're still a Martial Arts Expert, so there's that.

Your term, not mine. I am a practitioner of them.

[Mark Rippetoe]

What is the best Martial Arts movie you have seen?

[Mark E. Hurling]

What is the best Martial Arts movie you have seen?

The first Karate Kid was my favorite. It wasn't flashy, but it exemplifies a traditional approach to teaching and learning.

Some other good ones were The Last Samurai as Cruise gets the crap beat out of him with the bokken and that stocky bearded guy who leg locked him, along with The Yakuza.

[Eric Schexnayder]

Jet Li’s Kiss of the Dragon is by far my favorite. Anything with Jackie Chan is usually a close second though.

[Inverstone]

Mark, please get back to us on what you thought of "Annihilation" once you see it? Natalie Portman's roles really vary from silly/insipid to top notch acting in more serious films. I really think she has the potential to be "Meryl Streep quality" when she's older, depending on how her career goes.
Regarding fight scenes, I sometimes wonder if the "so fast you can't tell what's happening" shoots are partly to keep things less brutal for younger audiences/families. You "see" the violence but don't "feel" it, so to speak.
I agree about Craig being the best Bond at least the films. I think if Sean Connery was younger and had the quality of direction that "Casino Royale" had, he'd have been just as good. The last Bond film was terrible in my opinion, just "phoning it all in" both direction wise and writing.
I'm looking forward to the next one hoping they've done better. Have you seen his hilarious/completely different performance in "Logan Lucky"?
Another movie I highly recommend for it's zaniness and most definitely Craig's comedic talents. (Who knew?)

[Southpaw]

Rip, if you like Daniel Craig, check out Layer Cake. British gangster movie with Craig starring along with Sienna Miller. It apparently is the role that landed him the Bond franchise. I loved it; it has some good plot twists and turns. Much less emphasis on people just standing around and trying to act cool, as one sees in many British gangster movies.

Also, I watched Last King of Scotland again a while back. Forest Whitaker as real life Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. James McAvoy as freshly minted, very idealistic young Dr from Scotland doing aid work (Amin is obsessed with Scotland). Thru a chance encounter, McAvoy’s fictional character becomes Amin's personal Dr and somewhat of a political advisor. He realizes too late that Amin is a monster and must escape the situation. Whitaker does an awesome job in the role- you know you are supposed to hate this guy, but he makes Amin so magnetic you can’t help thinking you’d have a hell of a time if you went out drinking with him.

[Jason Pyle]

My fav Jackie Chan is "The Legend of Drunken Master". Lot of them are good tho.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Mark, please get back to us on what you thought of "Annihilation" once you see it? Natalie Portman's roles really vary from silly/insipid to top notch acting in more serious films. I really think she has the potential to be "Meryl Streep quality" when she's older, depending on how her career goes.

Next week.

Regarding fight scenes, I sometimes wonder if the "so fast you can't tell what's happening" shoots are partly to keep things less brutal for younger audiences/families. You "see" the violence but don't "feel" it, so to speak.

I think it's simpler than that: it saves money. The shots don't have to be blocked as carefully, shot as carefully, or written as carefully. You shake the camera, and the average audience will be amazed at the wonderful movement.

I agree about Craig being the best Bond at least the films. I think if Sean Connery was younger and had the quality of direction that "Casino Royale" had, he'd have been just as good.

Good point. These things have had a lot more thought put into them than any of the older films.

The last Bond film was terrible in my opinion, just "phoning it all in" both direction wise and writing.

Spectre? It wasn't the best of the four, but it certainly wasn't terrible.

[Nick Delgadillo]

Regarding fight scenes, I sometimes wonder if the "so fast you can't tell what's happening" shoots are partly to keep things less brutal for younger audiences/families. You "see" the violence but don't "feel" it, so to speak.

The quick cuts are to make it exciting, but also to hide the fact that they're shooting these choreographed scenes relatively slowly and deliberately. No need to speed anything up, instead they change angles and positions and things are perceived to move quicker. That's one reason Hurling's point about the Connery/Shaw fight on the train is a good one.

The truth is that fight scenes in old movies (in general) are terrible and no one wants to see a real fight in a movie. Something like the elevator scene in Drive is too goddamn disturbing to have in every action movie.