Topic: The Movie Thread

Finally got round to watching the first Dirty Harry (yes, I've been living under a rock) and without the whole nostalgia thing clouding my judgement, it's still a brilliant old-fashioned cop movie. They really don't make great movies like that anymore, the Jack Reacher movies are probably the closest they've come in a while but Cruise doesn't bring the same gravitas to the role that Eastwood brings to Dirty Harry. On to Magnum Force now but I'm not sure where the films inevitably go downhill and I should abandon ship.

@nessisonett If there is a weak one I'd The Dead Pool is the weakest one but it still is good fun. The funny thing about The Dead Pool is that it has Jim Carrey (credited as James Carrey) and Liam Neeson in it at the start of their careers in bit parts.

So I was going to try and hold off, but I decided to start my James Bond marathon. Once I’m done, I’ll rank all of them. I started with the first two yesterday.

First up is Dr. No. I’ll be honest this is of my favorites. It’s amazing how many of the series conventions were established in the first. The only things that are really missing are the gadgets (I think this might be the only Bond film with no gadgets) and it seems like Bond doesn’t spout out too many too many one-liners (although I know some people will appreciate this). I also think the film is really well paced and never gets dull. As far as sets go, I like Dr. No’s lair. I wouldn’t say it’s Ken Adam’s best set but considering the films small budget, I thought it was pretty darn good. My only real complaint is in regards to Dr. No. I wish he had a bigger role in the film. I get that they were building him up as mysterious and elusive, but he doesn’t even appear until the last half hour of the film! A shame too as I thought he was an interesting character I also think they could’ve utilized the Bond girl a bit better. To be honest I am being a bit nitpicky. I think Dr. No is an excellent and a must watch.

Next is From Russia With Love. This is my favorite of the “realistic” Bond films. Does most of the things Dr. No did well but better. While there’s a chance the film could be a bit unmemorable (I find this is an issue with these type of Bond films), fortunately this isn’t the case. It doesn’t have any elaborate sets, but they wouldn’t have been appropriate anyways. It also feels more like a Bond film with more one-liners and a gadget (the suitcase). The Bond girl is a step up in my opinion and is a bit more useful. I also like Robert Shaw’s henchmen character, even if he does spend a bit too much time hanging around in the shadows. My biggest complaint is the music. It refuses too much from Dr. No. Don’t get me wrong I love the James Bond theme, but I wish it had more unique music. I also find it a bit odd that the main theme isn’t played during the opening credits. In the end it’s still amazing and of my favorite movies ever.

@nessisonett I’ve seen Magnum Force. Great movie but I felt it’s length hurt it somewhat. Dirty Harry just feels better paced.

I can hardly remember the new Robocop movie, it left basically no impression on me. I just remember it being really tame in comparison.

I totally forgotten about that.

@LN78 Right that's another reason why the T-800s age (at least their outside) if it wasn't living tissue they wouldn't be able to travel through time.

Recent films I've seen... hmmm...

Brightburn!
Really enjoyed that. Little bit gruesome and a nicely put together retread of a 'Superman' origin story.
By far one of the best things about it and struck me several times during the film, Unlike a fair amount of modern superhero (and other) films of recent years; it really doesn't bog itself down with exposition - there were a few points where I'm pretty certain that some productions just wouldn't be able to help themselves from inserting a little unnecessary hand-holding. It made the film quite refreshing despite it's reliance on many a trope.

I watched live action Aladdin. Which was mostly not very good. Will Smith, while a terrible singer - really made the film. Guy Richie (and the editor) on the other hand really seem to have little sense of pace or how to assemble a large scale set-piece. The cinematography in general just felt like a bad fit.

Good god he's still involved!

https://theplaylist.net/rian-johnson-freedom-new-star-wars-20...

@LN78 Given the publication of the piece yesterday - it would seem that it's a certainty at this point. He's a cretin. He obviously has very little idea about what makes Star Wars fun and interesting.

Episode IX is basically a write off for me - even if the more outlandish rumours are false, I can't see JJ salvaging things. In addition to that - the revelation/rumours of the Lucas 20% cut on OT/PT elements very much explains why the majority of iconography, characters, ships etc from 1-6 are either entirely missing or simply being excised from Star Wars.

We all knew it, but Star Wars is now just a cash cow for the slaughter.

More interesting is that I really think that the new track will be to plumb the expanded universe stuff that Lucas didn't create but fans might be familiar with - such as Mara Jade.

EDIT: I'd be surprised is the Obi-Wan thing actually happens.

@LN78 I reckon there's something contractual in place there already. So more money wasted if they bump him off.
If the actual plan was always to transition the series away from Lucas's shared IP - then Kennedy, JJ and Johnson are succeeding - while still actually making money (just not as much as they might want).

I think Thrawn and Mara Jade (Emily Blunt I think) will be saved for other projects. They're both characters who EU readers and younger fans of the animated stuff will register. I really wouldn't be surprised to see a riff on Heir to the Empire show up at some point.

@LN78 True on the contracts.

Matt Smith as Thrawn?!?!? Ew. Fun Doctor, crap in everything else. I'd probably go for Ian Glen for Thrawn.

Really? They'd make a really good bit of casting for Fantastic Four!

@LN78 He's done a few bits and bobs - only some of which I've seen, but he's really not great in any of it.

Yeah, Glen is BW in the upcoming second series of Titans.

@RogerRoger That sounds like a good excuse for some tie-in books/comics/rides/games/re-released dvd/Disney+ subs/ lunchboxes/Pez dispensers to me!

@RogerRoger @KALofKRYPTON
Ahh, PEZ dispensers... what marketing genius that was. Those have surely endured the test of time — 70 years of making the same basic product. Clever indeed.

@Th3solution I've never even used one. I only knew what it was after many years of wondering what Vern was on about in Stand By Me - when a school friend arrived back from summer holidays with some.

I guess you can get it here now, but it really wasn't a UK thing.

@LN78 Interesting rumor, even if untrue. I’d never heard that before.

@KALofKRYPTON Yeah, a quick wiki search reveals that the parent company is actually Austrian. Started as the candy bricks which were originally peppermint flavored, thus the name “PEZ” is an acronym derived from the German word for peppermint.
It became popular in the U.S. immediately following WWII, when the character / toy heads were initiated. (At first the dispenser was just a solid piece without the head, I guess). Over the years, just about every popular movie franchise has had representation, and interestingly there was even a limited edition released in 2011 of a Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge set. Must have been an attempt to get you all involved in the madness.

To bring it back around and keep things in track for this thread, a PEZ animated movie was announced as being in the works in 2015. Mercifully, that has not seen the light of day, it would seem.

We had a teacher at school who we nicknamed Pez, because of the way he talked. His whole head would move in tandem with his mouth.

Sadly he didn't regurgitate sweets, that would have been quite something

@Gremio108 Like a Canadian?

@KALofKRYPTON I did wonder why he entered every lesson on horseback dressed as a mountie.