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Thread: The Movies

  1. #2281
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    I watched "On the Beach" last night. It seemed evocative of the mass stupidity we live in just now.

  2. #2282
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    I haven't seen Blade Runner yet, and people keep telling me to watch it, but I can't decide which one to watch. I suppose The Final Cut is what I will go with.

    I just watched the 1986 film version of The Importance of Being Earnest, and while my wife thought it was banal and unfunny, I found it to be hilarious. I'm going to watch the 2002 version at some point. I'll be curious to see how it's different, because they're both identical in terms of prose (it being adapted from a play), but the differences in set pieces and body language will hopefully add something.

    Do you all agree with my wife or do you have the correct opinion?
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  3. #2283
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    For Blade Runner, go with the final cut. That’s the short story version. For the long story, keep reading.

    The final cut is the only version of the movie where Ridley had full control. There is a director‘s cut version but it‘s not really the director‘s cut. When I bought the final cut version on dvd, maybe around ten years ago or so, it came with a three-hour making of documentary called Dangerous Days. It was great but you have to be into that kind of thing. They take you through the entire production. It’s also the first time I heard Harrison Ford talk about the movie. For years he refused to talk about Blade Runner. It was a tough production, shot almost entirely at night and in the rain. They ran out of money before the film was completely finished and Ridley was fired at one point. This is all covered in the doc. Highly recommended if you‘re into the behind the scenes stuff - otherwise, I could see how it could be torture for some people.

    I grew up with the original theatrical version of Blade Runner and for a long time that was the only version. It‘s still good but the final cut basically fixes the stuff that Ridley either fought against or ran out of time or money to film - which isn‘t a lot but really stands out when you watch both versions (original theatrical and final cut). I think there are seven versions but only four are or were available to buy. They also made technical improvements on the final cut though I‘m not exactly sure what those are.

  4. #2284
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scott B. View Post

    I grew up with the original theatrical version of Blade Runner and for a long time that was the only version. It‘s still good but the final cut basically fixes the stuff that Ridley either fought against or ran out of time or money to film - which isn‘t a lot but really stands out when you watch both versions (original theatrical and final cut). I think there are seven versions but only four are or were available to buy. They also made technical improvements on the final cut though I‘m not exactly sure what those are.
    You mean how Ridley Scott added random unused footage from Legend? And against the will of pretty much everyone else involved with the film began to heavily imply that Deckard was a replicant? And pretended to have intended that from the start? Harrison Ford and the writers think that idea is dumb and did not write the character that way. It ruins the whole movie. I love Ridley Scott, he has created some of the best visuals in the history of the art. But I can't let him get away with this one.

    Ridley Scott, being absolutely unhinged, re: Deckard being a replicant:

    Oh, it was always my thesis theory. It was one or two people who were relevant were... I can't remember if Hampton agreed with me or not. But I remember someone had said, “Well, isn't it corny?” I said, “Listen, I'll be the best fucking judge of that. I'm the director, okay?” So, and that, you learn -- you know, by then I'm 44, so I'm no fucking chicken. I'm a very experienced director from commercials and The Duellists and Alien. So, I'm able to, you know, answer that with confidence at the time, and say, “You know, back off, it's what it's gonna be.” Harrison, he was never -- I don't remember, actually. I think Harrison was going, “Uh, I don't know about that.” I said, “But you have to be, because Gaff, who leaves a trail of origami everywhere, will leave you a little piece of origami at the end of the movie to say, ‘I've been here, I left her alive, and I can't resist letting you know what's in your most private thoughts when you get drunk is a fucking unicorn!’” Right? So, I love Beavis and Butthead, so what should follow that is “Duh.” So now it will be revealed [in the sequel], one way or the other.

  5. #2285
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    Hey Alex, I completely agree with Deckard being a replicant as a bad choice. I think we’re pretty much on the same page there. I just didn’t explain my side well enough. I always saw Deckard as a flawed guy who was living on the razor’s edge due to his occupation – like a cop in a really violent city – only his job is hunting down and killing androids that are possibly stronger and smarter than he is – but definitely human.

    I wasn’t referring to the footage from Legend but I agree that’s better left out of the movie. I do like that they fixed the Zora death scene – where it’s clearly a stunt double in the theatrical version – and also the dove scene – where Batty lets the dove go and they cut to a sunny blue sky in the theatrical version. Those were the two scenes that always bugged me a bit. Also, I like that they got rid of the happy ending with unused footage from The Shining – and they removed the Harrison Ford voice-over explanation. These last two points – the happy ending and voice-over never really bothered me that much – but I’d rather not include them. For the technical enhancement, I meant more of the picture and sound – I could be wrong but the Final Cut version looks better than the Director’s Cut version.

    Also, I watched Midsommar last night. That was a pretty intense horror movie.

  6. #2286
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scott B. View Post
    Hey Alex, I completely agree with Deckard being a replicant as a bad choice. I think we’re pretty much on the same page there. I just didn’t explain my side well enough. I always saw Deckard as a flawed guy who was living on the razor’s edge due to his occupation – like a cop in a really violent city – only his job is hunting down and killing androids that are possibly stronger and smarter than he is – but definitely human.

    I wasn’t referring to the footage from Legend but I agree that’s better left out of the movie. I do like that they fixed the Zora death scene – where it’s clearly a stunt double in the theatrical version – and also the dove scene – where Batty lets the dove go and they cut to a sunny blue sky in the theatrical version. Those were the two scenes that always bugged me a bit. Also, I like that they got rid of the happy ending with unused footage from The Shining – and they removed the Harrison Ford voice-over explanation. These last two points – the happy ending and voice-over never really bothered me that much – but I’d rather not include them. For the technical enhancement, I meant more of the picture and sound – I could be wrong but the Final Cut version looks better than the Director’s Cut version.
    We are in perfect agreement here, sir.

    The theatrical cut has the voice-over, which sounds hilarious. Its my understanding that the studio thought the audience wouldn't understand what was going on and made Harrison Ford narrate it. He sounds sarcastic and pissed the whole time. The first 10 minutes are worth a watch if you can find it.

    As far as the visual corrections, the Final Cut definitely looks way better. They fixed a bunch of sloppy stuff that either slipped past or wasn't in the budget (wires suspending the flying cars, etc). But even then, the original has some of the best 'pre-digital' special effects, maybe the best full-stop. I just wish Ridley Scott had gotten out of our way.

  7. #2287
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    Do you want to know how Wall Street and the world's banking system screwed us over a decade ago? Watch Margin Call and The Big Short.
    BTW, that method of making money out of thin as described in The Big Short - collateralized debt obligations or CDOs - is still being done today. Only now they're called "bespoke tranche opportunities".

    And for a VERY INTENSE film that makes you appreciate our military and private contractors, and also despise a certain White House administration and one female politician in particular, watch 13 Hours. And turn the volume up.

  8. #2288
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    Watched Sneakers with Robert Redford and The Invisible Man lately.

    Sneakers is a clever and fun movie apart from a few libtard elements. Movie was also ahead of its time and had some clever scenes. And most importantly: The characters are clever and act intelligently. If the script requires the characters to act like dumbasses it‘s a lousy script.

    Which brings us to The Invisible Man. First half was great and then everything kinda falls apart and everyone‘s more and more acting like dumbasses at least half the time. It wasn‘t all bad but could‘ve been much better.

  9. #2289
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    Watched Once Upon a Time in the West. I clicked on SS website to write this review and saw the pajama boy article. Not only was it a great movie, for someone like me who grew up and participated in this faux masculinity, it drew a deep contrast. Don't want to get to sappy, but growing up without any male role model in my life, I feel into this way of thinking. Going to school and graduating in the liberal arts did not help. I knew there was something more. I started lifting, found SS, and my journey began.

    Now, this movie was great. Lots of great quotes. "Frank, there are many kinds of weapons. And the only one that can stop that is this." and great scenes (using the boot to hide his pistol on top of the train). I need to find more movies like this and watch them. Any recommendations?

  10. #2290
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    Spent the last week catching up on all of the Tarantino movies that I hadn't seen since he seems to be quite popular on this thread and here are some general observations about his body of work:

    1. The script supervision in consistently awful. Like B movie, Ed Wood awful. Come to think of it, Tarantino is a modern day Ed Wood.

    2. He overuses the Mexican Standoff for little effect. It's inserted into situations it doesn't have to be just because he seems to be infatuated with the idea.

    3. Otherwise smart characters often make terrible decisions or behave stupidly for the point of advancing the plot. To quote Sawyer from above: "And most importantly: The characters are clever and act intelligently. If the script requires the characters to act like dumbasses it's a lousy script." This describes Tarantino to a T. He is, with few exceptions, a terrible scriptwriter. He cannot create a compelling narrative to save his life. It is all style with no substance.

    4. The three movies before Jackie Brown are hands down his best. If you don't watch any movie made after 1994 you're really not missing much, with the exception of outstanding performances from Christof Walz. If you are going to watch the movies he made after 94, skip Kill Bill entirely and watch Ghost in the Shell and literally any Sonny Chiba movie instead.

    5. Jackie Brown is frequently touted as his most underrated movie. It is not. Its not a very good movie. Its entirely unbelievable and the characters make some ridiculous choices for no good reason. The reason why many people feel like its one of his better movies is because he didn't write the story. Its based on the novel Rum Punch by Elmore Leonard, who is someone that can actually write a compelling story.

    6. He frequently relies on spontaneously psychic characters to add conflict or advance the plot. This is poor storytelling, shitty character development or both. Prime examples are the Sam Jackson character from Django "knowing" that Hilda is Django's wife and Kurt Russel from Hateful Eight "knowing" Domergue has conspirators with her at Minnie's Haberdashery.

    7. The narrators are always pointless. Never do they reveal the inner thoughts of characters that we don't have access to nor do they inform us of anything that can't be gleaned from information already presented on the screen. They are superfluous, distracting, and an insult to the audience's intelligence.

    8. Christof Walz is the best thing that ever happened to Taratino and makes his two movies worth watching almost solely because of his performance. Hanz Landa, by Tarantino's own admission is the best character he has ever written. Without him, Inglorious Basterds doesn't exist. Dr. King Shultz is a much less interesting character than Landa, who makes a wholly inconsistent and stupid decision to take his own life at the end of the movie for no good reason; yet Walz makes a poorly written character worth watching.

    Side note: Rip has commented on the excessive smoking in Tarantino's movies. Col. Landa is a prime example of this. The Nazis and Hitler in particular disdained smoking and even ran public health campaigns discouraging smoking, and exceptionally few high-ranking Nazi officials smoked publicly. Anyone who was a member of Hitler's personal detail (including the head of security, I presume) was expressly forbidden from smoking. It is highly unlikely that Col. Landa would have smoked anything, let alone a pipe AND cigarettes.

    Final analysis: Taranto is hands down the most overrated director of the last 50 years. His reputation is based on the quality of his first three films (counting True Romance, not Jackie Brown), even though he hasn't made a movie anywhere near that caliber in well over 20 years. He is the Terrence Malik of his generation and should be remembered as that and only that.

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