Movie Record 2021 Edition - The Bear and Badger

Kow

I think I might get through that, ten minutes at a time, over the new couple of weeks. Can't face watching it all in one go.

poprock

I don’t think I could care enough to go back if I pressed stop partway through.

hylian_elf

30. Dune - 24 Oct
Massively disappointing, but what was I expecting from a practically unfilmable book? It’s grand enough. There’s a lot of spectacle, it looks and sounds wonderful, although the music is quite overbearing most of the times. So much missing, most of the depth and nuance of the book has been lost or missed out. Shame.
[6]

davyK

It is ever thus.

Very few films capture the book. A Clockwork Orange and Green Mile are the stand outs for me.

poprock

I think of adaptations as being like cover versions. They should be a different take on the same idea/story. Film’s better at some things. Books are better at others.

davyK

Basic length of a book (size does matter) will impact that too. Film makers have become more indulgent with longer runtimes and it makes them think they can tackle bigger stuff that's best handled in other ways.

Length doesn't always equate to events that can be filmed. A great deal of internalising and thoughts take up space which is essentially unfilmable outside of illustrating motivations and some character insight. Those things take top drawer scripting and acting.

hylian_elf

Yes. A looser adaptation would’ve been good, made for the screen. Instead, they've tried to follow the book. Not a good idea.

Wookienopants

Length is an issue that bugs me lately, not every film needs to be a 2-3 hour epic. Give me a brisk 90 minute bit of fun and I'm happy. If your film runs past the 90 minute mark it had better be EXCEPTIONAL.

Like LOTR. I would be happy for those to run at twice their length.

poprock

Villeneuve is too big a fan of the book. No room for detachment or originality.

poprock

Wookienopants wrote:

Length is an issue that bugs me lately, not every film needs to be a 2-3 hour epic.

I watched Free Guy last night. That film did not need to be two hours long.

davyK

Wookienopants wrote:

Length is an issue that bugs me lately, not every film needs to be a 2-3 hour epic. Give me a brisk 90 minute bit of fun and I'm happy. If your film runs past the 90 minute mark it had better be EXCEPTIONAL. Like LOTR. I would be happy for those to run at twice their length.

Heh. Yeah. I'm like that with the later Scorsese films. I could watch De Niro and co just sitting around talking for hours. It's why I love The Irishman so much.

Moot_Geeza

I loved The Irishman too, should watch again really. Interesting to see that many people don't rate it much, it'd probably crack a Scorsese top 5 for me.

hylian_elf

Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas - his easy top 3. The Departed and Shutter Island are good too. No Irishman in my top 5 Scorseses.

Moot_Geeza

Massive fan of Shutter Island over here too. Not as keen on The Departed but it is good.

davyK

Casino is my pick of Scorsese. But it's a premier league all right. Goodfellas, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Irishman are all there or thereabouts.

Anyone see Age of Innocence?

Minkymu

Started watching Destroyer last night with Sebastion Stan and Nicole Kidman(looking deliberately rough as fuck) and so far im 1/2 way through. Its not bad tbh. Just the right amount of dirty gritty to it. Im hoping the 2nd half steps up the brutal grimness

hylian_elf

davyK wrote:

Anyone see Age of Innocence?

I have it on Bluray, still to watch.

ShabbyMcCrabby

Minkymu wrote:

Started watching Destroyer last night with Sebastion Stan and Nicole Kidman(looking deliberately rough as fuck) and so far im 1/2 way through. Its not bad tbh. Just the right amount of dirty gritty to it. Im hoping the 2nd half steps up the brutal grimness

I liked that director’s previous film The Invitation better. It’s a tight little thriller that’s worth going into without reading much about it.

davyK

hylian_elf wrote:

davyK wrote:

Anyone see Age of Innocence?

I have it on Bluray, still to watch.

Figured you might.

hylian_elf

31. Spiderman (2002) - 25 Oct
My favourite Spidey flick, although I need to see the sequel again to make sure. Watching these earlier ones with the Boy so he ‘gets’ No Way Home, but also because I like them anyway.
[7]

32. Fallen Angels - 26 Oct
WKW does crime drama with interlacing character arcs in pseudo-sequel to Chungking Express. Interesting choice of ultra wide-angle lens and characters up close to the camera, which works really well. Christopher Doyle (he seems such an eccentric fella from the interviews) works his magic again with the cinematography. The movie just falls short of being great - a few of the scenes just went on for too long for my tastes, and one or two of the characters (or how they were portrayed) just didn’t do it for me. To end on a positive - another great soundtrack. WKW is a fan of music and he uses it to great effect in all his movies.
[8]

Minkymu

ShabbyMcCrabby wrote:

Minkymu wrote:

Started watching Destroyer last night with Sebastion Stan and Nicole Kidman(looking deliberately rough as fuck) and so far im 1/2 way through. Its not bad tbh. Just the right amount of dirty gritty to it. Im hoping the 2nd half steps up the brutal grimness

I liked that director’s previous film The Invitation better. It’s a tight little thriller that’s worth going into without reading much about it.

Ah The invitation was on my to watch list. Did not know was by the same director. Excellent.

Thought that was pegged with one foot in the horror genre. The film about the couple invited to a dinner party?

davyK

Dune pt.1 then.

If you read the book. Liked it. And want to see a film version. Then go see this. It looks spectacular and this first part is rather close to the book. Has a superb cast (the lad in the lead is magnificent). Sounds great. The Baron is superbly done by Stellan Skarsgard.

The spice for oil analogy is very much up front in the feel of this film. It's Lawrence of Arabia-esque with the desert scapes and music in places.

Hats off to the concept artists. The technology on show is beautiful.

Bring on pt.2

davyK

Hitler:Rise of Evil tells the story of Hitler up to the point where he became Fuhrer. It was a Canadian TV mini series and has a 3 hr run time. I watched it over 2 nights.

It takes some liberties - portraying scenes that are conjecture, but the political moves and significant events are all there. The reason for watching is Robert Carlyle in the lead who does an excellent job. There's a pretty good supporting cast too including Peter Stormare, Matthew Modine and even Peter O'Toole. A solid production.

LivDiv

I watched that a couple of years back. Likewise Carlyle being the draw. Worth a watch for sure.

hylian_elf

33. Happy Together - 27 Oct
Possibly WKW's weakest movie for me. I didn't notice any particular shooting style and it didn't look or sound as good as his other films. The first half dragged a bit, but it did get better.
[7]

34. Spiderman 2 - 27 Oct
Definiteley prefer the first movie, but this again fun. Confused the hell out of the Boy with all the scientific mumbo jumbo but he loved the action. He echoed my sentiments on the PP-MJ exchanges and the will-they-wont-they - JUST HURRY UP AND GET IT ON YOU TWO! Spiderman 3 next. I remember being disappointed, the Boy will probably find it fun.
[7]

hylian_elf

35. 2046 - 28 Oct
Sumptuous, heartbreaking loose sequel to In the Mood for Love with a bit of carry-on of Days of Being Wild too, with some beautiful original music for the film by the same Japanese composer behind the theme used for ItMfLove. Occasionally a little confusing with all the different characters, and at times a little odd, and I don’t remember liking it all that much on my first viewing many years ago. But having watched WKW’s other films recently has helped me understand and appreciate it more this time round. Not a movie you can go in cold and watch stand-alone without having seen a couple of his others referenced here. Recommended for WKW fans.
[8]

hylian_elf

36. Spider-Man 3 - 29 Oct
Bad pacing, too many characters, and just felt messy. Nonetheless, still an entertaining enough movie.
[6]

ShabbyMcCrabby

Minkymu wrote:

ShabbyMcCrabby wrote:

Minkymu wrote:

Started watching Destroyer last night with Sebastion Stan and Nicole Kidman(looking deliberately rough as fuck) and so far im 1/2 way through. Its not bad tbh. Just the right amount of dirty gritty to it. Im hoping the 2nd half steps up the brutal grimness

I liked that director’s previous film The Invitation better. It’s a tight little thriller that’s worth going into without reading much about it.

Ah The invitation was on my to watch list. Did not know was by the same director. Excellent.

Thought that was pegged with one foot in the horror genre. The film about the couple invited to a dinner party?

Yeah I'd agree with that. Horror-Thriller. I really liked it

davyK

Oliver Stone's Salvador is one I watched many years ago. It still hasn't lost its impact. The pace is pretty high in this - things happen quickly and tumble into each other and I reckon that's on purpose - giving the impression of how Boyle's (the subject of the film) life was.

Very haphazard but compelling. Starts off light hearted but the seriousness grows as the film progresses. It's a breezy watch but makes for depressing viewing too - seeing how Central America was screwed over in the 80s due to the US fear of communism and the flawed domino theory.

Woods and Belushi in the lead roles are very watchable.

ShabbyMcCrabby

101. Shang-Chi
Crazy to think we have come from Iron Man to this. It's pretty great really. It feels like the Marvel stuff almost gets in the way of the epic Chinese action adventure film
[8]

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