Which films have you seen lately Vol.22 Now with Smell-O-Vision.

[EgonSpengler]

Mad Max Fury Road is Exhibit A for how CGI isn't the problem, it is poor and lazy use of CGI that sucks.
I watched a youtube video about the editing of Fury Road, and apparently George Miller in almost all scenes made sure the focus of the scene was centered in the screen so the viewers eye could immediately see what was going around rather than moving all over the screen and zoning out.

I feel like a lot of movie & television directors don't know how to direct an action scene, whether that's a fist-fight, a gun-fight, a car chase, a dance scene, a sex scene, a horror scene, a sports scene, or physical comedy. I suppose writers may not know how to write them, either, but I guess I assume these scenes are mostly on the director's shoulders. There are probably some dramas, romances, thrillers, and comedies - any movie that focuses on character, plot, and dialogue - that would have been really livened up by well-directed action scenes, but you just don't notice, because you're not really focused on the physical action, or lack thereof, in those kinds of films. I also suspect there are directors, writers and actors who are dismissive of action scenes, consciously or unconsciously, perhaps thinking they're easy to do or unimportant. And some of those people are in the business of making movies that feature a lot of action. One of the 'cardinal sins' in my book is not letting the audience see the action, and action scenes that are hard to follow, whether because of quick cuts, poor use of "shaky cam", bad lighting, or bad editing.

Another 'cardinal sin' of action scenes is when they're just boring. It's difficult for me to put my finger on why an action scene isn't compelling, probably because it's in something that isn't there or wasn't done. An example I can think of was X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), which I tried to watch a few weeks ago. It was almost non-stop action, and I couldn't keep my eyes open. I think I shut it off halfway through, and I have no interest in going back to finish it. Total snoozer. The director, Gavin Hood, doesn't seem to have a track record of doing movies that rely on the action scenes. I remember liking his Official Secrets (2019) well enough, and I guess I don't remember it having a lot of kinetic movement. At the time, I assumed that was a deliberate choice - and it was acceptable, in that sort of movie - but maybe he's just bad at shooting those kinds of scenes. Who knows, maybe he tried to give Official Secrets some kind of visual momentum and I didn't even notice.

Anyway, George Miller is one of the best action scene directors of all time. Even in the scenes where he uses some of the things I mentioned above, he uses them effectively: The short chase-scene in the beginning of Fury Road where Max is running from the War Boys through their labyrinthine headquarters uses rapid cuts, weird and unsteady camera angles, and that kind of 'stuttering' editing, all to disorient the viewer, because the pov character - Max - is disoriented and lost and panicking a little. I haven't seen many of Miller's non-action movies (the Babe movies; the Happy Feet movies; and Lorenzo's Oil) but I'd bet $1 that the physical action scenes in those movies really carry the audience along, even though those movies may not need the physical action scenes to carry the audience along (although, I think Happy Feet is a dance movie, albeit an animated one). I actually did see The Witches of Eastwick (1987) when it came out, and I remember liking it, but I can't say that I remember how the action was filmed, such as there was any.

 

[lymond]

Oh...Miller did Lorenzo's Oil? It's a very good movie.

 

[Smellincoffee]

I feel like a lot of movie & television directors don't know how to direct an action scene, whether that's a fist-fight, a gun-fight, a car chase, a dance scene, a sex scene, a horror scene, a sports scene, or physical comedy. I suppose writers may not know how to write them, either, but I guess I assume these scenes are mostly on the director's shoulders. There are probably some dramas, romances, thrillers, and comedies - any movie that focuses on character, plot, and dialogue - that would have been really livened up by well-directed action scenes, but you just don't notice, because you're not really focused on the physical action, or lack thereof, in those kinds of films. I also suspect there are directors, writers and actors who are dismissive of action scenes, consciously or unconsciously, perhaps thinking they're easy to do or unimportant. And some of those people are in the business of making movies that feature a lot of action. One of the 'cardinal sins' in my book is not letting the audience see the action, and action scenes that are hard to follow, whether because of quick cuts, poor use of "shaky cam", bad lighting, or bad editing.

Another 'cardinal sin' of action scenes is when they're just boring. It's difficult for me to put my finger on why an action scene isn't compelling, probably because it's in something that isn't there or wasn't done. An example I can think of was X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), which I tried to watch a few weeks ago. It was almost non-stop action, and I couldn't keep my eyes open. I think I shut it off halfway through, and I have no interest in going back to finish it. Total snoozer. The director, Gavin Hood, doesn't seem to have a track record of doing movies that rely on the action scenes. I remember like his Official Secrets (2019) well enough, and I guess I do remember as not having a lot of kinetic movement. At the time, I assumed that was a choice - and it was acceptable in that sort of movie - but maybe he's just bad at shooting those kinds of scenes. Who knows, maybe he tried to give Official Secrets some kind of visual momentum and I didn't even notice.

Anyway, George Miller is one of the best action scene directors of all time. Even in the scenes where he uses some of the things I mentioned above, he uses them effectively: The short chase-scene in the beginning of Fury Road where Max is running from the War Boys through their labyrinthine headquarters uses rapid cuts, weird and unsteady camera angles, and that kind of 'stuttering' editing, all to disorient the viewer, because the pov character - Max - is disoriented and lost and panicking a little. I haven't seen many of Miller's non-action movies (the Babe movies; the Happy Feet movies; and Lorenzo's Oil) but I'd bet $1 that the physical action scenes in those movies really carry the audience along, even though those movies may not need the physical action scenes to carry the audience along (although, I think Happy Feet is a dance movie, albeit an animated one). I actually did see The Witches of Eastwick (1987) when it came out, and I remember liking it, but I can't say that I remember how the action was filmed, such as there was any.

One problem with superhero fight scenes for me is the low stakes. It's one OP character throwing another OP character around, and the only part that's remotely interesting is if they manage to destroy swathes of the city in a way we haven't seen before, like throwing a tractor-trailer through a skyscraper.

 

[EgonSpengler]

This weekend:

I.S.S. (2024) was okay. Nothing to write home about, for good or ill.

An '80s double-feature: Manhunter (1986) was Michael Mann's adaptation of Thomas Harris' Red Dragon. I remembered William Peterson and Tom Noonan. I'd forgotten most of the supporting cast: Kim Greist, Joan Allen, Dennis Farina. Stephen Lang is completely unrecognizable. Even knowing it was him, I struggled to 'see' him in his own face, ca. 1985. I did remember that Brian Cox played Dr. Lecter (or Lecktor, as it's spelled in this movie), but not how he played him: Fairly straight, not really very creepy at all. It was Anthony Hopkins who made the character the compelling psycho we remember (and, decades later, Mads Mikkelsen played him as super-suave, almost a James Bond-type charmer, but for the fact that everyone in the audience knows who and what he really is). Manhunter was where, to my eye, Mann first established the visual style he became famous for with Miami Vice. Then I watched Repo Man (1984), which features a soundtrack that became one of my most listened-to albums, back in the day. I'd forgotten how much of the music from the soundtrack is diegetic (meaning, it's in the scenes, not just playing over them - it's music the characters can hear, not just music the audience can hear). I'd forgotten that the slowed-down version of "When the [Stink] Hits the Fan" is actually played by the Circle Jerks in the film, portraying a 4th-tier 'smooth jazz' lounge act in the background of a scene in a bar. (Full disclosure: I can admit now that I always kind of preferred the version of that song from Repo Man more than the album version, even when I was neck-deep in punk rock ). Both movies were great fun.

 

[lymond]

I watched Godzilla Minus One. It was pretty good. I thought Godzilla was a bit funny-looking but was an improvement technically on the man in the rubber suit lol. The human story was much stronger than the original, although I felt it was missing something. However, ultimately the story was satisfying.

 

[EgonSpengler]

One problem with superhero fight scenes for me is the low stakes. It's one OP character throwing another OP character around, and the only part that's remotely interesting is if they manage to destroy swathes of the city in a way we haven't seen before, like throwing a tractor-trailer through a skyscraper.

Right, the stakes of any conflict in any movie relies on the audience being 'with' the characters. If a movie hasn't established the characters in such a way that you give a [turd], then the conflict is meaningless. This is what writers, directors and actors who come from dramas are good at (so you can sort of see, for example, what Marvel might have been thinking when they brought Chloe Zhao aboard Eternals). And then if the action is filmed in a listless way on top of that, it's a complete waste of everyone's time *cough*Black Adam*cough*. With X-Men Origins: Wolverine, I was already familiar with the character, so it could have relied somewhat on that pre-existing familiarity (although there was one character beat in that movie that made me roll me eyes all the way back in my head, when Lynn Collins' character was 'fridged'). Compare Origins with the next 2 Wolverine movies, especially Logan, and the character development is night and day. I can imagine the director of Origins wanting to put a paper-bag over his head after he saw what other people were able to do with that character in a film centered on him.

 

[lymond]

Collins was miscast in John Carter too, which was a much better movie than generally regarded. She's has a sorta basic attractiveness but not the most dynamic of actresses.

 

[EgonSpengler]

Oh...Miller did Lorenzo's Oil? It's a very good movie.

I remember it getting a lot of attention when it came out, mainly because of Sarandon, who was right in the middle of the Hot Zone in her career (Bull Durham in '88 to Dead Man Walking in '95, and of course Thelma & Louise had come out just the year before Lorenzo). I think Nolte was a pretty big star at the time too.

 

[Synobun]

lol...they are really bad....at least the first one. Only reason I saw it is that my little sister (she was about 12 when it came out) made me take her to it..... I think I fell into a waking coma. I don't remember Anna in it but there has been a lot of suppression lol

(Just read through the IMDB reviews. As much money as those movies made, and masses of tween girls, the scores are bad and get worse with each sequel)

They're great if you know what you're getting and you're actively seeking that out. They're terrible if you're expecting high theatre.

I am biased (and obviously a tween girl) though. I was at the premiere for Eclipse.

 

[Kyriakos]

Watching Train to Busan

 

[Kyriakos]

Doesn't sound like a good idea. The original Possession wasn't exactly horror either, the monster was metaphorical or worse.
And it didn't suffer from the cast, which was mostly good. Unlikely to see anyone top Adjani in the role, and Sam Neil was always good in that type of movie.

 

[Smellincoffee]

Drive Away Dolls. Two women decide to go to Tallahassee and accidentally pick up a car laden with a frozen head and celebrity dildos. Shenanigans and a lesbian romance ensue: unexpected Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal. My buddy and I argued over whether or not we'd seen MIley Cyrus. Reddit says she was there, but uncredited.

Moderator Action: Added spoiler. -lymond

 

[Kyriakos]

‘The Blair Witch Project’ Actors Call Out ‘Reprehensible Behavior’ After Missing Out on Profits for Decades: ‘Don’t Do What We Did’ (EXCLUSIVE)

The cast of 'The Blair Witch Project' explain how they say they were screwed out of their share of the profits and why they're speaking out now.

variety.com

America, America ^^

Too bad they didn't get paid any royalties.

"For months, the three endured these indignities because they thought that, given how much they’d contributed to the movie’s success, the “Blair Witch” windfall would eventually arrive. Instead, to commemorate the film breaking $100 million at the domestic box office, Artisan sent each actor a fruit basket. "

 

[Synobun]

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Much better than I was expecting. 9/10.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things. The kind of movie Kyriakos would love to hate. 0.5/10. It is absurdly terrible.

Super Troopers. This was meant to be a palate cleanser after the last movie. 3/10? It's not great. Lame stoner-esque comedy about cops. Stoner humour in general is pretty obnoxious, and this was no exception. Nothing can really compare to Harold & Kumar.

A Part of You. A Swedish film. I expected this to be kind of cutesy, and it was anything but. However, it was really good, and it's one of the rare Swedish movies with a happy ending. 9/10.

Ginger Snaps. A new friend keeps posting gif sets from this movie and considers it one of her favourites, so I decided to see what the hype was all about. It's okay. For a horror movie, that's a glowing review from me. 6/10.

Two Weeks Notice. Romcom with Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock. And apparently Donald Trump? Anyway, it was... fine. The premise of most romcoms is pretty... eh... especially by today's standards, and this is no exception. Still, good actors. 6/10.

A History of Violence. I had no idea what to expect from this, but it ended up being great. I only know Viggo as Aragorn, so it was nice to see him in a different role. He's pretty good with his eyes. 9/10.

The Client List. Lifetime movie about a woman who joins a happy-ending spa in order to save her family home and their finances. This is an extremely 2010 movie. The amount of hypocrisy and judgment in this could fuel a small Evangelical nation for years. The morality in this is trash. But it wasn't the worst thing to sit through. 5/10.

 

[Kyriakos]

@Synobun I have watched I am Thinking of Ending things. Also reviewed it in one of these threads back in the day
Imo it's a rather not subtle delusion of the old janitor.
I didn't like it either.

 

[Smellincoffee]

Dune, 2021. Beautiful interpetation of the first third of the book.

El Topo, 1970. I have no idea what this movie was about because it was in Spanish and had no subtitles, but a friend who was supposed to join me and a mutual friend to watch Dune was late, so we convinced him that this movie set in the desert with credible connections to Paul and Lady Jessica was Dune. We spent 2 hours bullshitting him and it was hilarious.

Friend: I"m SO CONFUSED
Me: Well, Herbert's Dune combined both Arabic cultural influences for the language and Mexican natural history influences for the geography, so it's a little weird if you haven't read him.
Friend: THEY'RE SPEAKING SPANISH
Me: Well, yeah. That was an interesting choice by Villeneuve, who wanted to make the Dune language strange, and yet oddly familiar....
Co-Conspirator: Look, there's the witch!
Me: Oh, yeah, the lady who was telling Jessica earlier that someone was going to kill her son..

 

[Narz]

Started They Cloned Tyrone last night (halfway thru), entertaining so far, I'll report back

 

[EgonSpengler]

O'er the weekend:

Past Lives (2023) was just as good as I'd hoped it would be. My favorite movie of 2023, I think.

Celine Song just wrapped filming of her next movie, Materialists, with Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans, for A24. I'll keep an eye out for that one, probably some time next year. Greta Lee has a role in the next Tron movie, but I'm not circling that on my calendar yet. IMDb says she's also in pre-production on something called 11817, with Kingsley Ben-Adir, which is intriguing casting. That's being directed by Louis Leterrier, though, a mid-table action-thriller director in my book, so I'm not really brimming with excitement for that one, either. Lee's gotta pay some bills, I guess.

American Fiction (2023) was also excellent. It's not exactly the race-relations satire the trailer made it out to be, but that's a good thing. It's also an excellent family drama, with a great cast. I was wracking my brain trying to figure out where I'd seen Erika Alexander before. Turns out she appeared in episodes of a lot of the shows I watched the in late '00s, but never as a regular. She was also in Deja Vu (2006) with Denzel Washington, which I just watched last year. And speaking of Mr. Washington...

Remember the Titans (2000) was a sports movie and a Denzel Washington movie that I hadn't seen before, so it ticked two boxes. Solid, if unspectacular. A large cast of before-they-were-famous youngsters. Wood Harris, Donald Faison, Ethan Suplee, Hayden Panatierre, Kate Bosworth, Ryan Gosling. I'm not much of a fan of football/American rugby, so I can't judge the action scenes' authenticity, but they were entertaining. I didn't know while I was watching it that it's based on a true story, and I wonder if I would've appreciated it more if I'd known that. It was good. It's 2nd-shelf, as both a sports movie and a Denzel movie, but that's nothing to sneeze at.

Volcano (1997) is a hoot. Not a great movie, but a fun one, and sometimes that's all you need while you're cleaning your apartment.

Atlas (2024) was neither good nor great fun. Meh. Lopez just never became the crossover movie star I thought she was going to be. Out of Sight (1998) remains her only good movie. Not that I've seen everything she's been in, but after Selena, Anaconda, U-Turn, Out of Sight, The Cell, Angel Eyes and Enough, I thought she just needed good material. During that stretch, she seemed to rise and fall with the films she was in. But I don't know if I've been moved to see anything she's been in, in the last 20 years. I've heard that Hustlers was decent.

---

A History of Violence. I had no idea what to expect from this, but it ended up being great. I only know Viggo as Aragorn, so it was nice to see him in a different role. He's pretty good with his eyes. 9/10.

Eastern Promises (2007) is very good, too. I just rewatched it last Fall, and I liked it a lot.

 

[lymond]

I watched Hitman and Dumb Money over the weekend. Both were very good. Adria Arjona is smokin'.

 

[EgonSpengler]

I watched Hitman and Dumb Money over the weekend. Both were very good. Adria Arjona is smokin'.

I've been looking forward to Hit Man, just didn't get around to it this weekend.