Films

[frostypaw]

Aliens is good. Alien3 is terrible. Alien resurrection probably even worse.

Aliens is more than good, it's Cameron in tour-de-force mode... you gotta watch the longer Director's Cut too as while it has a little meander it includes some very good scenes. I remember as a young'un watching it in a room of 20 odd rowdy lads and the siege silencing the room with tension, awesome.

Alien3 in the assembly cut shows some of what should have been, but unlike Brazil it never got properly resurrected from the cutting room's floor.

We don't speak of the fourth. Just watch the basketball clip and skip the entire rest of movie.

If you want a seriously weird alien(?) movie has anyone watched SPRING? Closest I could describe it as is a version of the Thing that plays out more like a romance. Odd capital O, but not sure it'd be interesting to rewatch

[Spindles]

Aliens is a classic, arguably a better film than it's predecessor.  Like frosty says it's a tour de force, with Cameron pulling out all the stops (alot of which was using things which he'd developed ideas for with Rambo but had no choice to use).

 

I was dismayed when I saw Alien 3 when it came out, but I've come to have a fondness for it in a way now, with the gritty style and some of the performances making it worth revisiting occasionally.  Similarly I am not as critical as some of resurrection because of it's use of some of the better ideas from the comic book universe, which I saw it as a nod to.

 

Alien 3 lost out due to actors not wanting to commit to the film forcing the writer's hands and a failure to properly express some key ideas (such as the xenomorph taking aspects of the creature it gestates within, which is what the film is supposed to be showing us).  I think had the had Newt and Hicks it would have been a different film altogether, with protective mother Ripley rather than grieving widow Ripley.

[viberunner]

I'll give Alien 3 this much though... a quadruped more "instinctive" lower intelligence but physically even more impressive (especially on movement) Alien from a dog explains why the human-gestated Aliens were bipedal and intelligent. That was a damned cool concept.

[Winslow Leach]

I'll give Alien 3 this much though... a quadruped more "instinctive" lower intelligence but physically even more impressive (especially on movement) Alien from a dog explains why the human-gestated Aliens were bipedal and intelligent. That was a damned cool concept.

 

In the Assembly Cut it comes from an ox rather than a dog. It's a while since I've seen either cut of Alien 3, but if I remember correctly it's actually pretty staggering just how different they are.

Edited July 27, 2015 by Winslow Leach

[frostypaw]

Worst directors cut anyone?

Any time I talk about different versions there's the pre-edit version of Butterfly Effect hanging around somewhere in the back stinking things up, right alongside Donnie Darko's. Others have been overlong or lost the pace but both of those I've just been left stunned at what we were saved from

[Amy Lawn]

I'm pretty sure it was the Assembly Cut that I've watched, but I really enjoyed Alien 3 for the hot burning ball of frustration and pissed away potential that it was. It was pretty much an exploded view of how things can go wrong in filmmaking.  Alien Resurrection is just horrible brainless shite, but obviously that can't possibly be Joss Weadon's fault, because none of his many fuckups ever are...
 

I enjoyed Ant-Man, but don't expect anything fantastic. It's very much a lower budget Marvel film with a rather silly premise and the film makes light of this. I much preferred it to Age Of Ultron though - much simpler and better to my mind

 

It's a real shame that Edgar Wright didn't make this in the end. I read a good observation the other week that no Marvel film so far has really let a director make a film that feels uniquely them, Iron Man 3 didn't really have the Shane Black flair, for example. It's all presumably in aid of maintaining some sort of "house style", but it's got to the point where it all feels a bit too corporate. I don't care for the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films, but watching them back now, they feel refreshingly individual with all the b-movie and slasher movie pastiches. With Scott Snyder having his hands on all the DC stuff now, the homogenisation is really beginning to show, I hoped Edgar Wright's Ant-Man would be a wildcard and bring back a weirdness to comic movies, like the Batman films of the 80s and 90s.

[viberunner]

It's a real shame that Edgar Wright didn't make this in the end. I read a good observation the other week that no Marvel film so far has really let a director make a film that feels uniquely them, 

 

Agreed about Edgar Wright, but Guardians of the Galaxy was so James Gunn it's difficult to believe it's supposedly set in the MCU.

[Winslow Leach]

I'm pretty sure it was the Assembly Cut that I've watched, but I really enjoyed Alien 3 for the hot burning ball of frustration and pissed away potential that it was. It was pretty much an exploded view of how things can go wrong in filmmaking.  Alien Resurrection is just horrible brainless shite, but obviously that can't possibly be Joss Weadon's fault, because none of his many fuckups ever are...

 

 

It's a real shame that Edgar Wright didn't make this in the end. I read a good observation the other week that no Marvel film so far has really let a director make a film that feels uniquely them, Iron Man 3 didn't really have the Shane Black flair, for example. It's all presumably in aid of maintaining some sort of "house style", but it's got to the point where it all feels a bit too corporate. I don't care for the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films, but watching them back now, they feel refreshingly individual with all the b-movie and slasher movie pastiches. With Scott Snyder having his hands on all the DC stuff now, the homogenisation is really beginning to show, I hoped Edgar Wright's Ant-Man would be a wildcard and bring back a weirdness to comic movies, like the Batman films of the 80s and 90s.

 

Agree with you, about Alien and about Marvel. It's very obvious that Marvel clashes with directors with more experience and distinctive vision, and often brings in much smaller indie or TV directors that it know it will have more control over for the sequels. Marvel must be hell to work for, even Joss Whedon seemed like an utter wreck by the end of his time with them.

 

James Gunn is the exception that proves the rule though.

[Amy Lawn]

Oops, forgot about GotG, yeah James Gunn was allowed to run as riot as it gets with these big budget project, and the end result stood out from the crowd because of it. It was the Marvel name that got people into the cinemas to begin with, but it was the film's uniqueness that gave it legs and made it a hit. Crazy that Marvel gave us The Winter Soldier and Guardians Of The Galaxy within a few months of each other, not to say I don't think they'll make good films in the future, but it's hard to see them ever topping those two.

[Amy Lawn]

Heh.

[frostypaw]

Just finished watching the new Mad Max, which was pretty relentless and great. WTF was all that anti-feminist outrage about exactly?!?

Guitar dude was amazing.

[jump]

Just finished watching the new Mad Max, which was pretty relentless and great. WTF was all that anti-feminist outrage about exactly?!?

Guitar dude was amazing.

 

They were tricked into seeing a movie with a female main character, they do have a point though. Mad Max isn't the main character despite the flick being called Mad Max but who really cares.

[Winslow Leach]

Just finished watching the new Mad Max, which was pretty relentless and great. WTF was all that anti-feminist outrage about exactly?!?

Guitar dude was amazing.

 

They just wanted to carry on hating or at the very least ignoring the existence of women in peace, is that so much to ask?

[viberunner]

WTF was all that anti-feminist outrage about exactly?!?

 

You can be confident anyone who felt emasculated by a baldy one-armed truck driver and her dirtbike grannies helping sexslaves escape from a pustle-riddled mouthbreather is a man who, soon or later, will be ordering Rohypnol from the internet (and not to self-medicate).

[frostypaw]

You can be confident anyone who felt emasculated by a baldy one-armed truck driver and her dirtbike grannies helping sexslaves escape from a pustle-riddled mouthbreather is a man who, soon or later, will be ordering Rohypnol from the internet (and not to self-medicate).

I think you're probably right. Was totally a Mad Max film - is always just joining some people on their way down the long road for a while - and there have been strong other characters before. It delivered so completely on everything else you could want from it that the detractors seem very petty indeed

[Amy Lawn]

Notice that none of the broads in Mad Max ever parallel parked!?
 

 

(I can't parallel park).



(haven't seen the new Mad Max either).

[When Jokers Attack]

Mad Max was decent but didn't live up to the hype for me, wasn't even that impressed with Tom Hardy. It was visually pleasing though.

[LondonTom]

 

 

Say what you like about Quantum of Solace (and it is a very poorly made, boring and confusing film) but at least it tries to do something different with the franchise. 

But it was both a shit Bond movie and a shit movie on its own, sometimes being different isn't helpful!

Skyfall was exactly what people who watch and like Bond movies, want from a Bond movie. (Without the complete sillyness that was Die Another Day). It was always going feature little nods to the past with it being billed as the big anniversary film!

 

Heh.

 

I laughed but having actually watched Man of Steel the other week, I don't really get people's problem with this aspect of the film. To me, the destruction was no worse than any other movie, it just seem to actually address that there was consequences to the two super beings beating the shit of out each other. (That said, as a whole movie its still pretty meh, just thought it was badly paced in places, the scenes on Krpton and with Jor-El were fantastic mind). 

 

I thought maybe it would make more excited for Batman Vs. Superman but not really, still at least suicide squad looks good

 

 

 

Saw Antman at the weekend, thought it was really good. Sure it had what have become pretty much Marvel movie cliches but the little nods to the MCU and the fight with Falcon were amazing, loved the idea of Thomas the Tank Engine to and I am so glad that bit managed to be better than the trailer reveal . A fine addition to the MCU.

[Winslow Leach]

But it was both a shit Bond movie and a shit movie on its own, sometimes being different isn't helpful!

Skyfall was exactly what people who watch and like Bond movies, want from a Bond movie. (Without the complete sillyness that was Die Another Day). It was always going feature little nods to the past with it being billed as the big anniversary film!

 

The correct way to experience Skyfall is to watch Goldfinger instead and masturbate furiously to it.

 

It's a lovely looking film with an ugly heart and it pretty much represents the absolute antithesis of everything I believe about art, culture, creativity and life.

 

Ben Whishaw is quite good tho.

Edited August 3, 2015 by Winslow Leach

[jump]

The correct way to experience Skyfall is to watch Goldfinger instead and masturbate furiously to it.

 

It's a lovely looking film with an ugly heart and it pretty much represents the absolute antithesis of everything I believe about art, culture, creativity and life.

 

Ben Whishaw is quite good tho.

You realise you're taking it a bit too seriously right? I like a Bond film as much as the next guy but I don't watch them for life, art and all the other pretentious things in the world.

[viberunner]

You realise you're taking it a bit too seriously right? I like a Bond film as much as the next guy but I don't watch them for life, art and all the other pretentious things in the world.

 

We watch them because Bond is a rapey toff who can't even get a Martini right. 

[Amy Lawn]

I laughed but having actually watched Man of Steel the other week, I don't really get people's problem with this aspect of the film. To me, the destruction was no worse than any other movie, it just seem to actually address that there was consequences to the two super beings beating the shit of out each other. (That said, as a whole movie its still pretty meh, just thought it was badly paced in places, the scenes on Krpton and with Jor-El were fantastic mind). 

 

It's not solely the destruction as such, it's that Superman doesn't seem to really give that much of a toss about it. Superman saves people, that's what the character is about, that's why he was invented. For me, and a lot of other fans, Superman is saving helicopters from coming down, stopping trains from coming off the rails, stopping trucks from smashing into buildings, saving people. Snyder's Superman is concerned about hitting the villain the hardest and snapping his neck, not the very human Superman shown in that page from All-Star.

[DomDom1984]

My problem with the destruction was that the movie focused more on things falling down than the battle going on.

[jump]

I agree with the action scene got too much but to be honest every complaint people had with Superman Returns was answered and felt genuinely different to the Donner Superman so I can forgive that.

[viberunner]

Superman saves people, that's what the character is about, that's why he was invented.

 

For me, and a lot of other fans, Superman is saving helicopters from coming down, stopping trains from coming off the rails, stopping trucks from smashing into buildings, saving people. 

 

Actually Superman back in the day was highly political. As much as saving people from vehicular accidents, which you focus on, here are some stories from the 1939 1st series:

 

Superman stops a lynching

 

Superman breaks into the Governor's mansion to stop the execution of Evelyn Curry

 

Superman saves the former heavyweight boxing champion of the world from committing suicide

 

When Superman saves a runaway boy from being run over by a train, he discovers the child is from an orphanage where the superintendent abuses the children in a variety of ways

 

The suicide of the author of a manuscript, which states that sinister forces seek to retard this nation's return to prosperity, prods Superman to dart from place to place, averting the disasters that have been planned by these forces to disrupt vital aspects of national industries

 

Lois and Clark are very concerned when they see business owners trying to induce children into their stores to play slot machines, placed there by the goons of "Slug" Kelly

 

Punk politician Alex Evell, because of his growing political power, is out to buy the Planet's competitor, so that he will have a newspaper to back up his political dealings

 

Clark Kent smells a rat when he enters several offices of financial wizards, hoping to find out why they are profiting during a time of extreme depression

 

 

 

And I'm pick cherry-picking from the 423 issues in that run. Those are choice stories from the first FIVE issues.

 

If the Superman of 1940 were alive today he'd bomb Wall Street.