THE BORE

General => The Superdeep Borehole => Topic started by: The Sceneman on September 16, 2007, 10:32:21 PM

Title: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: The Sceneman on September 16, 2007, 10:32:21 PM: The weekend is over, heres what I watched:

Laputa: Castle in the Sky - Pretty fun Miyazaki flick, probably one of his best. No noticibale flaws!

The Fly - Still classic

Next - Actually really good, I hear it got average reviews but I thought it was excellent. Was fairly flawed and patchy but still had plenty going for it and some good ideas. Nicholas Cage in fine form

TMNT - Surprisingly good, aimed at kids obviously but very cool and well done

The Hitcher - Meh, pretty corny and not so corny it was good. Sean Bean's 'wonderfully dark charactersation' (as per the box) was nowehere to be found, he just read the lines he was given and made 50 bux or something.

Son of the Mask - !!!

Throne of Blood - I had never seen an Akira Kurosawa film before, so I was totally blown away by this. Totally awesome

Rize - Fairly solid doco, awesome dancing! made me want to start Krumping lol

Shadowboxer - Holy shit! One of the best things Ive ever seen. Cuba Gooding is hilarious, as is Macy Gray. In the scene where the womans water breaks all over her feet I decided this film gets a 5/5.

Comment on my viewing or post your own!
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: bagofeyes on September 16, 2007, 10:35:00 PM: Shit man, thats a lot of movie watching
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Oblivion on September 16, 2007, 10:36:06 PM: Castle in the Sky. :bow

Miyazaki's best film.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: The Sceneman on September 16, 2007, 10:39:07 PM: Quote from: bagofeyes on September 16, 2007, 10:35:00 PM
Shit man, thats a lot of movie watching

yeah thats what I thought! sort of why I made a thread
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Ichirou on September 16, 2007, 10:42:17 PM: Shadowboxer, hahaha, I really want to see that movie. Helen Mirren plays Cuba Gooding's stepmom in it...and then they fuck. :o
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: The Sceneman on September 16, 2007, 10:43:40 PM: Its fucking hilarious, unintentionally of course. Its supposed to be all OMG REAL ISSUES but the whole way they presented it is so damn funny
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Ichirou on September 16, 2007, 11:00:36 PM: hardcore sex scene with Cuba Gooding Jr. sucking on Helen Mirren's nipples? I'm there! :-*
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Madrun Badrun on September 17, 2007, 12:08:50 AM: Just watched Perfect blue. Awesomeness.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Fragamemnon on September 17, 2007, 12:37:51 AM: I saw 3:10 to Yuma, which is deserving of all the praise. The casting is terrific, the characters rationale and well-fleshed out, and the setwork/screenplay was terrific. Definitely the best Western in theaters in a long time.

Last night I finally saw Talladega Nights, since my wife caved in and agreed to watch it. Between growing up in the South and a summer spent playing Nascar Racing 2003 too much, I really enjoyed the movie compeltely. It wasn't afraid to get stupid and be comfortable there, and Sasha Baron Cohen's frenchman really stole the show every time he was on the screen.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Phoenix Dark on September 17, 2007, 01:44:59 AM: Just got done watching Dial M For Murder and omg it was awesome. Now I've seen five Hitchcock films, four of which were simply amazing. For the first act of the movie I had a grand time closely following the plot, anticipating every move. Yet during the second act I was simply beaten and unable to guess nearly anything. It was as if the film purposely dangled a carrot in front of me to stroke my satisfaction, then yanked it unexpectedly. Needless to say I didn't see the final revelation coming.

Towards the beginning of the movie there's a scene in which two characters just talk for more than ten minutes. During this scene I couldn't help but marvel at how well it was crafted. The writing - slowly revealing layers of the plot while giving you a taste of things to come - was simply amazing. It felt more like I was reading a well written novel, or play; interestingly enough I noticed the writer of the film's adapted screenplay also wrote the novel.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Ichirou on September 17, 2007, 01:47:08 AM: Dial M for Murder is an adaptation of a stage play, PD.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Phoenix Dark on September 17, 2007, 01:55:19 AM: And the writer of the stage play did the film adaption. Very interesting. Much of the writing had a theatrical feel to it
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Ichirou on September 17, 2007, 01:59:41 AM: Most directors, when adapting stage plays, tend to "open them up" - that is to say, they change scenes to take place outdoors, or alter the script to use a number of different locations, fearing that the movie would otherwise look "too stagey."

Hitchcock was of the opposite opinion, and you'll see that he was attracted to the idea of using a single "stage" or set to tell a complete story. It's been a few years since I saw Dial M for Murder, but doesn't it (just like Rope) all take place in one apartment?

What other Hitchcock movies have you seen?
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Phoenix Dark on September 17, 2007, 02:22:12 AM: Yeah, the vast majority of the film occurs in an apartment room. There are some scenes outside but it's clearly a set.

I have seen...

Rear Window (10/10)
Strangers on a Train (9.5/10)
Psycho (9.5/10)
Dial M for Murder (9/10)
The Birds (6/10)
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Ichirou on September 17, 2007, 02:23:57 AM: Watch Rope and Vertigo next.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Phoenix Dark on September 17, 2007, 02:28:20 AM: It's actually pretty sad that I haven't seen Vertigo yet. I know it's coming on AMC this week (7 Nights of Hitchcock), which is how I saw Dial M for Murder. I didn't like the commercial breaks though; towards the end of the movie they came at really poor times, cutting off suspense. Rear Window came on earlier and I watched a bit. Since I've seen it before it was easy to see just how interruptive the commercial breaks were at times.

I know the school library has some Hitchcock films so I'll view them that way.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: FlameOfCallandor on September 17, 2007, 09:13:32 AM: Neat fact. James Clavell wrote The Fly. He's the guy who wrote the sweeping japanese samurai epic Shogun.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Kyle on September 17, 2007, 09:31:18 AM: Quote from: Oblivion on September 16, 2007, 10:36:06 PM
Castle in the Sky. :bow

Miyazaki's best film.
:bow :bow
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Mupepe on September 17, 2007, 11:39:26 AM: saw Match Point this weekend.

:bow Awesome stuff.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: bagofeyes on September 17, 2007, 11:43:26 AM: The best Miyazaki film is either Kiki or Spirited Away. Real talk.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Candyflip on September 17, 2007, 02:14:05 PM: I saw Hustle and Flow this weekend on HBO. It was actually not nearly as terrible as I thought it was going to be.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Mupepe on September 17, 2007, 02:16:16 PM: Quote from: Candyflip on September 17, 2007, 02:14:05 PM
I saw Hustle and Flow this weekend on HBO. It was actually not nearly as terrible as I thought it was going to be.
you were high weren't you?
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Candyflip on September 17, 2007, 02:23:10 PM: I actually was. It was still decent though. Everyone was real sweaty in that movie all the time though. It was weird.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Mupepe on September 17, 2007, 02:27:10 PM: when i watch those types of movies high, they're decent. but i couldn't watch them sober. i remember them fondly though.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Madrun Badrun on September 17, 2007, 02:35:12 PM: Quote from: bagofeyes on September 17, 2007, 11:43:26 AM
The best Miyazaki film is either Kiki or Spirited Away. Real talk.

whats kiki? never heard of it.
spoiler (click to show/hide)
also Nasuicaa is # 1
[close]
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: bagofeyes on September 17, 2007, 07:15:16 PM: Kiki's Delivery Service
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Polari on September 17, 2007, 09:26:41 PM: Quote from: Phoenix Dark on September 17, 2007, 02:22:12 AM
Yeah, the vast majority of the film occurs in an apartment room. There are some scenes outside but it's clearly a set.

I have seen...

Rear Window (10/10)
Strangers on a Train (9.5/10)
Psycho (9.5/10)
Dial M for Murder (9/10)
The Birds (6/10)

You rate Dial M For Murder (which isn't just a mediocre film, but a fucking dreadful one) above The Birds? Seriously? Not that The Birds is as great as the other ones you listed or anything, but it's worth more than a 6.

Check out Vertigo, Notorious or Shadow of a Doubt next.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Madrun Badrun on September 17, 2007, 09:30:13 PM: Quote from: Polari on September 17, 2007, 09:26:41 PM
Quote from: Phoenix Dark on September 17, 2007, 02:22:12 AM
Yeah, the vast majority of the film occurs in an apartment room. There are some scenes outside but it's clearly a set.

I have seen...

Rear Window (10/10)
Strangers on a Train (9.5/10)
Psycho (9.5/10)
Dial M for Murder (9/10)
The Birds (6/10)

You rate Dial M For Murder (which isn't just a mediocre film, but a fucking dreadful one) above The Birds? Seriously? Not that The Birds is as great as the other ones you listed or anything, but it's worth more than a 6.

Check out Vertigo, Notorious or Shadow of a Doubt next.

The birds is complete ass, Dial M is rather good. 4/10 to the former, 8/10 to the latter.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Phoenix Dark on September 17, 2007, 09:44:05 PM: Quote from: Polari on September 17, 2007, 09:26:41 PM
Quote from: Phoenix Dark on September 17, 2007, 02:22:12 AM
Yeah, the vast majority of the film occurs in an apartment room. There are some scenes outside but it's clearly a set.

I have seen...

Rear Window (10/10)
Strangers on a Train (9.5/10)
Psycho (9.5/10)
Dial M for Murder (9/10)
The Birds (6/10)

You rate Dial M For Murder (which isn't just a mediocre film, but a fucking dreadful one) above The Birds? Seriously? Not that The Birds is as great as the other ones you listed or anything, but it's worth more than a 6.

Check out Vertigo, Notorious or Shadow of a Doubt next.

Dial M for Murder is wonderfully written and extremely suspenseful. The Birds is a failed attempt at in-your-face horror, in the vein of a Jaws sequel. In other words, it's a monster movie, but not very convincing. The pacing was off to me. That being said I recognize it's considered a classic, and it's not like I totally trashed it; 6/10 isn't a dreadful score after all
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Ichirou on September 18, 2007, 12:31:19 AM: The Birds hasn't really held up well over the years.

Vertigo next, dude. After that, Rope or Shadow of a Doubt are both good choices.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Phoenix Dark on September 18, 2007, 01:50:32 AM: Just got done watching Rope. Another good suspense film.

The interesting thing I've noticed is the variety in Hitchcock's style as compared to say M Night Shamaylan (work with me here!). In both Rope and Dial M, the viewer is shown the "twist" or set up within the first few minutes of the film, and the rest of the film builds on it until the climax. This is in stark contrast to M Night's films, in which the "twist" or set up is always revealed last, with everything else slowly building up to it. I find this interesting because despite the set up being revealed so early, I found this process to be far more suspenseful.

In Rope's case the film's central event (a "perfect" murder) occurs in the first five minutes. While the pacing is somewhat uneven after this event, it slowly works itself out throughout the rest of the film; actually it really takes off once an unusually dark, sarcastic Jimmy Stewart arrives on screen. This is definitely one of my favorite Stewart roles, but then again I've never seen a movie where he wasn't amazing.

Like Dial M, Rope features some rather theatrical writing. In some cases it seems to go a bit too far; it becomes clear rear people don't talk like this, even the intellectual group portrayed. Yet the writing it more than witty enough to compensate for my borderline complaints.

To me the film centers around arrogance, and the pit falls of intellectualism. There is certainly nothing wrong with being intellectual, but it has its limits - and can be pushed into extremes that resemble doctrines of supremacy. In this case, the idea that those of so called "superior" intellect are not bound to the same moral boundaries of regular individuals, and therefore are the only ones who can justify the "art" of murder.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Ichirou on September 18, 2007, 02:31:38 AM: Did you catch all the gay subtext (I am being serious)? The two murderers being lovers, the more "intellectual" one (John Dall, I think it was) being in love with Stewart's character, and the murder being done as a sort of sacrificial sexual offering?

Rope was also based on a play, btw.

And I'm surprised that you didn't even comment on the film's most unique feature - all of it is filmed as one long uninterrupted take. There are no visible cuts throughout the entire film.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Phoenix Dark on September 18, 2007, 02:47:23 AM: Quote from: Ichirou on September 18, 2007, 02:31:38 AM
Did you catch all the gay subtext (I am being serious)? The two murderers being lovers, the more "intellectual" one (John Dall, I think it was) being in love with Stewart's character, and the murder being done as a sort of sacrificial sexual offering?

Rope was also based on a play, btw.

And I'm surprised that you didn't even comment on the film's most unique feature - all of it is filmed as one long uninterrupted take. There are no visible cuts throughout the entire film.

I forgot to mention that! It took me awhile to realize that it was a long tracking shot. But I have a question: there were around 3 instances where the camera moved behind someone, and then zoomed into their back causing the screen to go dark - after which the camera would move out again. Were those shots cleverly hidden edits?

I had heard the two killers were lovers, but I didn't get that impression. With respect to Hall and Stewart, it seemed more like Hall was more obsessed with besting the "master" in many ways - he seemed to admire Stewart's character, and deeply hope that they shared the same values. Which is why he decided to reveal the murder to him so easily. I suppose some would interpret that as sexual.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Ichirou on September 18, 2007, 03:10:37 AM: Both murderers were played by gay men. The scriptwriter was also gay. Even the piano piece one of the characters plays in the film was written by a gay composer. The play was based on the Leopold and Loeb case (Leopold and Loeb were gay lovers/murderers). The subtext was toned down for the film version (or so I read, I've never actually read the play), but there's still plenty of scenes where you can see John Dall's character as the dominant male in the relationship, with Farley Granger's character as subservient - a sort of traditional husband and wife type thing. Hitchcock wanted Cary Grant to play Stewart's role, since rumors about Grant being gay had dogged him for years.

Each film reel lasted about 8 minutes back then, so each time you see the camera zoom into someone's back, or momentarily go black, that's a hidden edit. Hitchcock was experimenting to see if he could make viewers feel like they were watching a play but as an actual hidden participant (a silent dinner guest, as it were). He considered the experiment a failure, but it's still really interesting to watch.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Phoenix Dark on September 18, 2007, 03:21:59 AM: He was definitely dominant, I just never saw them as lovers I guess. It seemed like he was just had dominant, charismatic personality which was able to convince the other killer to participate in the plan. Of course when the deed was done he realized the gravity of his actions and that it wasn't as intellectually stimulating as advertised - whereas Hall seemed to take a somewhat sexual satisfaction with the completion of this work of "art".

Yeah, each time the camera zoomed in like that I had a feeling it was hiding an edit. I thought it was pretty compelling, and really made the scenes more interesting that they could have been with constant edits; can you imagine how boring the back-and-forth face shots would be? The camera really created a nice atmosphere, as if I was viewing the action first hand. As you said, like a play.

Hitchcock seemed perfectly comfortable with tackling socially unacceptable topics such as homosexuality (Rope), divorce (Strangers on a Train), and adultery (Psycho). I would imagine that his films were somewhat controversial in the US, or "shocking"
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Ichirou on September 18, 2007, 03:53:04 AM: Strangers on a Train is pretty thick with the homosexual subtext too. So many characters seem to be repulsed by Bruno not because he's a killer (which they don't know), but because he acts in an effeminate manner.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Phoenix Dark on September 18, 2007, 03:56:21 AM: He was definitely flamboyant lol
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Ichirou on September 18, 2007, 05:47:26 AM: There's a whole homosexuality = deviancy = murderous intent vibe going through so many old movies...they never come straight out and say it, of course, but it's definitely there if you know what to look for. Check out Peter Lorre's character (I think it's him, anyway...Jimmy Cairo is his character's name, I believe?) in The Maltese Falcon for a good example of what I'm talking about.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: Mandark on September 18, 2007, 07:24:14 AM: Quote from: Ichirou on September 18, 2007, 05:47:26 AM
Check out Peter Lorre's character (I think it's him, anyway...Jimmy Cairo is his character's name, I believe?) in The Maltese Falcon for a good example of what I'm talking about.

Joel Cairo. In the written version, Hammet managed to sneak in a direct reference, calling the young thug Cairo's "gunsel," which the editor assumed to mean hired gun. Cairo and the female lead have a catty exchange about some boy they fought over in the past, which I think made it into the movie.
Title: Re: Scenester's weekend movie rundown
Post by: bud on September 18, 2007, 07:47:59 AM: the original version of the hitcher was pretty awesome.