Film - The House That Jack Built. Incredible! A non stop, unnerving, tense film. Be warned though, it is very, very harsh! Lars von Trier has made this film in such a wonderful way for such a horrible subject matter. Matt Dillon is superb in the main role with fantastic support from the rest of the cast too
Can't think of anything good to put here just yet, watch this space...
Watched Ready Player One last night. It was a fun watch with some outstanding set pieces, and picking out all the pop culture references was enjoyable. I'm glad I went in without knowing too much, as that is where most of the enjoyment comes from. I thought most if it was handled well, there is one scene in particular which could have gone horribly wrong if not handled in the right manner. Good luck in spotting them all without pausing and rewinding as there are over 100 of em. Unfortunately it is not enough to save this from flat character and story development, especially the real world stuff. Some of the avatar designs are really unispired and I really found it difficult to take the lead guy seriously. Together with some clunky dialogue and a lame script, this was a bit of a disappointment. I've not read the book, so your enjoyment may be lower as I've heard it pretty much dismantles it.
@JohnnyShoulder Yeah, as a fan of the book, your impressions are pretty spot on. I didn’t hate the movie, but it disappointed in far too many areas. Watching it with no prior knowledge of the story would be much better. But the book is a fun read for a gamer, if you enjoy reading.
Has anyone seen Aquaman yet? I am getting mixed feelings from the trailers I’ve seen. I haven’t read any reviews yet, and I’m sure to watch it no matter how poorly it reviews, just because ... well, I’m a nerdy video game playin’, sci-fi and fantasy lovin’, superhero world enthusiast — so it's a matter of ‘when’, not ‘if.’
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Three films I've watched over the last week or so:
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Loved this film. It would have been easy to make this into a sentimental underdog story, but it ended up being so much more. Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell are superb. And I love Woody Harrelson, I wish he was my uncle.
Bird Box - the Netflix one with Sandra Bullock. Some good ideas in this. It kind of feels a bit B-movie at times, but a good B-movie. The contrast between the A-list actors and the supporting cast is stark, but if you're a sci-fi fan it's worth watching. There are some quite tense bits in it. It's very John Wyndham.
The Shape of Water - a fairytale for grown-ups. Not usually the sort of film I'd watch, but it has really stuck in my head. Everyone in it is brilliant. Michael Shannon is an actor I really like, and he's good in this.
Good job, Parappa. You can go on to the next stage now.
@Th3solution I’ve not seen Aquaman yet. Getting Chrimbletude done and dusted first, so will go in the new year. And I’m really looking forward to watching it, as I think it’s going to be a fun thrill ride of a movie. Also, Jason Momoa seems to be super cool with plenty of likeable charisma (and dang, he’s hawt!!).
Have you heard of a film reviewer on YouTube called Chris Stuckmann? I really like him, as I really get a sense of his passion for the medium of film. Check out his review of Aquaman, as I think it sets a positive and grounded mindset for the movie....
It isn’t a dream
You only heard yourself
The means of your life
Create and melt
@jacobia A very interesting review. Thanks for sharing. I haven’t watched Stuckmann’s reviews before, but I like his style. It’s a little bit just like a friend telling you why he liked or didn’t like something without getting too deep into the weeds of cinematic critique or academic analysis and explication. Yet he speaks of things intelligently with some amount of obvious film experience.
Based on the review I think I’ll like it. The whole “over the top Saturday morning cartoon / Anime” approach sounds like a lot of fun. But I wonder if it comes across as DC trying to chase and emulate Marvel’s more light-hearted approach to its cinematic universe. Even Marvel has fallen into the trap of making everything like Guardians of the Galaxy now, and the more grim and serious tone of the DCCU was refreshing in its own right. I can appreciate a mixture of serious and dark tones to offset the colorful and silly ones. There’s a place for both, and I just have a feeling the DC fans will probably be put off by Aquaman ‘s more spirited approach.
@Th3solution Yeah, I subscribe to Chris Stuckmann’s channel, and I agree with your appraisal of him. He’s very likeable, doesn’t come across as jerky know-it-all film snob in the slightest, is a huge Star Wars fan, and he indeed does have experience of creating his own moves: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5741914/
I’ve loved the darker tone of the DCEU movies as an opposite experience to the MCU, which I also really like. Loved Zack Snyder’s visual style (but he could do with a trusted, respected friend/colleague to tighten up his movies a bit).
The more recent MCU movies have tended to be a tad too comical for my tastes (still thoroughly enjoyable, though).
And I think you’re right about DC wanting (understandably!) a share of the superhero movie money tree. DC would probably have been better off not trying to bring all their big players out too quickly.....But it is what it is, and we’re both enjoying their output, so....🤷🏻♂️
Here’s to seeing Aquaman!! 🍻
It isn’t a dream
You only heard yourself
The means of your life
Create and melt
@jacobia Stuckman is one of the few film critics I can relate to, as I find most get a bit stuffy for me. His vids analysing stuff like Drive and Only God Forgives come highly recommend.
Life is more fun when you help people succeed, instead of wishing them to fail.
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.
@JohnnyShoulder He’s great, isn’t he? Someone you’d like to nerd out with down the pub!
Another channel I subscribe to is Dead Meat, where the host (very likeable and witty) posts ‘The Kill Count’. They’re vids that cover the kills from various horror films, with a fun little pie chart at the end. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2IYWWifoIht9T47z1Z5lJw
It isn’t a dream
You only heard yourself
The means of your life
Create and melt
@Gremio108@jacobia Saw Bird Box last night thought it was very good if not up there with something like The Quiet Place imo. Not sure it I would class it as sci-fi though, it is more of a psychological thriller. There are layers to it as well, with how the people deal with depression and if you are mentally unstable effecting what the main threat does to the person. Thought all the cast did really well, with a few notable names in there. And yeah some really really tense scenes, doubly so if you have kids of your own.
@JohnnyShoulder Thanks for the recommendation, Bird Box has come up on my radar and I’ve been meaning to add it to my list. The Quiet Place was an awesome film, can’t wait to see what they do with the sequel.
It isn’t a dream
You only heard yourself
The means of your life
Create and melt
@kyleforrester87 Yeah, this is a lot more fun than the chaotic Bay movies (although I stopped watching after the second one, but I've heard they only get worse).
Seeing Aqua Man tomorrow!
@Bad-MuthaAdebisi Oh come on. Even if you didn't like it, you have to admit that it's a far more coherent experience than the Bay films were.
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