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Topic: The Movie Thread

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Black_Swordsman

@ralphdibny I loved QOTSA's Songs For The Deaf and Josh Homme's other band Them Crooked Vultures but I have heard little to no recent material by QOTSA. I love The Prodigy's earlier material, but I don't know what a 'definitive' album to buy by them would be? I'll check out Outsidaz.

"Man is the pie that bakes and eats himself, and the recipe is separation." - Alasdair Gray

PSN: Draco_V_Ecliptic

ralphdibny

@Draco_V_Ecliptic for prodigy, probably their law the singles, as it has all the best songs on it to be honest and invaders must die which came out not long after the singles collection

Yeah Josh hommes projects do seem to end up being good (for me at least, I know it's an acquired taste) and that sort of group of musicians do seem to chop and change and share their members a bit in those days, the foo fighters, qotsa, them crooked vultures, eagles of death metal and tenacious D, even the strokes' Julian Casablancas featured on a qotsa song though I doubt anyone would notice unless they read the album notes

Outsidaz is a group that I believe Eminem got his start with, as such, they sound a lot like early Eminem! Infinite/slim shady LP era kind of sounds. Or at least I should say that early Eminem sounds a lot like outsidaz lol

See ya!

Black_Swordsman

@ralphdibny I thought Eminem got his start with D-12? Or did they change their name? Is it the same group?

"Man is the pie that bakes and eats himself, and the recipe is separation." - Alasdair Gray

PSN: Draco_V_Ecliptic

ralphdibny

@Draco_V_Ecliptic I'm not sure of the time line exactly but I think there were some crossover members, various outsidaz and the group itself get shout outs on the slim shady LP too if I remember correctly

See ya!

RogerRoger

Phase One complete. Just watched Avengers Assemble (our name for The Avengers, just in case anybody could confuse a big, green Hulk with a posh man in a bowler hat).

It's funny. Watching those movies many moons ago, as a casual passer-by, I outright ignored all of the little nods and references used to tie them together. This week, Agent Coulson has rapidly become my favourite MCU character thusfar, yet I never paid him any attention before; he was distracting from the superheroes who had their names on the posters. Despite four different directors, and many different writers, these five films have organically felt like individual chapters in a sweeping epic novel, and that's even more impressive when you realise that they were written, shot and released years apart from one another. Somebody once described the MCU as "three seasons of serialised television, only made out of movies" and I totally get that now, because that's exactly what it feels like. Very well played, Marvel Studios. If only others had taken notes (yes, I'm looking at you, Star Wars sequel trilogy).

In fact, my only criticism would be the lack of a signature musical style, or even recurring theme. We come close when Alan Silvestri scores both Captain America and The Avengers back-to-back, not only introducing the now-recognisable theme for the Avengers themselves, but also using his Cap theme during certain action sequences in the latter film. I wish each hero had been given a consistent, hummable motif but alas, I know this is pretty much as far as this goes.

Thor was my least-favourite early entry, but it was still great entertainment. I zoned out during all the admittedly-gorgeous Asgard sequences, preferring to treat it like a fish-out-of-water comedy with Thor marching about hospitals and high streets, asking for a horse. It also could've done with being ten minutes shorter, as its end became a hastily-edited rush to wrap itself up.

But hey, if that's the low water mark, then bravo. I care about these characters now. I can see their arcs forming, I can see some of them changing, and I'm excited to see what comes next.

"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

nessisonett

I watched Cosmopolis, starring Robert Pattinson and written/produced/directed by David Cronenberg. I really enjoyed it, Cronenberg’s direction was cold and aloof, which gave it an interesting tone given that it’s not a horror movie like his normal fare. Pattinson’s performance makes me really look forward to his Bruce Wayne, he embodies the 1% while giving off a nervous energy lurking beneath his stony exterior. It was interesting seeing that it wasn’t received all that well at the time, I understand its sterile approach won’t gel with everyone but I personally loved it.

@RogerRoger Congrats on finishing Phase One! It was interesting for me looking back on them because I personally think the later movies blow them out the water but there’s a certain level of wonder to still be had from them, especially since I went to see them all on the big screen. It’s crazy thinking I was 7 years old when Iron Man came out and then when everything wrapped up with Endgame, I was a student! I really did grow up with those movies so I’ll always have a soft spot for the older ones but you’re in for a treat as the universe expands in Phase Two.

Plumbing’s just Lego innit. Water Lego.

Trans rights are human rights.

Th3solution

@nessisonett @RogerRoger Agree on the overall improvement of the MCU over time. Sure there are a few exceptions, but the first Captain America and Thor are quite ‘ho-hum’ in comparison to the latter outings. The humor really ramps up as well after Guardians of the Galaxy, which makes each much more fun.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

RogerRoger

@nessisonett Good to hear that Pattinson's potentially got his bat-persona locked in, based on what you're saying you saw in Cosmopolis yesterday.

And thanks, yeah, the MCU is really proving itself to be something; I didn't take a break as planned, and found myself carrying on with it this afternoon. Although I'm surprised to see @Th3solution call Cap's first film "ho-hum" (even in comparison with what's to come) as it was a genuine highlight for me thusfar, placing above the first two Iron Man adventures and well above Thor. It had three perfect components, namely a unique period setting, Hugo Weaving in the villain role, and a central protagonist who was a pure hero, through and through (which, at such a crucial moment in the fledgling continuity, broke the "flawed, unlikeable meathead must overcome own personality" story mould we'd seen thusfar).

But then I've only just started out, and I've got a long way to go, so I don't really know what I'm talking about (yet)! It's gonna be interesting to see how my opinions evolve with time and context. I also have the benefit of being a latecomer, with some distance and perspective on the whole endeavour, and I know where certain characters end up. I wasn't going to but, given what I just wrote, I think I'll rank them all at the end.

"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

Th3solution

@RogerRoger It’s true that The First Avenger has a unique period setting and a very strong villain. I also like the Steve Rogers virtuous hero as well, and the ‘heart over brawn’ sits well with me too. The film, with the establishment of the super soldier project and the Hydra, is key to the whole MCU series, so I’m glad you enjoyed it. For me it just dragged a little due to the excessive exposition of the new universe, as early entries in long series often do. As you go though you’ll find that the action and flair really ramp up more and I’ll be really interested to see if that is a positive or a negative in your book.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

Th3solution

@LN78 Actually I think I did see The Rocketeer a long time ago. But I don’t remember much about it, neither good nor bad. I might have to try a re-watch one day when it becomes available to do so.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

RogerRoger

@Th3solution That's understandable, and a fair point; even I was surprised at how little action Phase One contained, until you got to the last forty-five minutes of The Avengers and then it was like somebody had opened a can of very chaotic, overly-energetic worms. I suppose the comparatively small scale of prior action sequences helped make that feel like the "event" it was supposed to be, and I wonder if that was intentional, but the problem is now everything has to match or exceed it.

Oh, and by the way, I recognised Aldrich Killian saying your signature quote yesterday. Was that the first place you heard it, or did you adopt it beforehand? It's a good quote!

"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

Vahla_Hanesh

@RogerRoger Glad to hear you're enjoying Coulson! I'm a massive fan of Agents of Shield, and Coulson to me is the heart and soul of the show.
I did a rewatch of the MCU just at the end of last year and there's three that stand out way above the rest for me - Captain America: Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Avengers: Infinity War. The first for being a well paced thriller with natural looking action scenes. The car chase with Fury in particular, and Guardians 2 and Infinity War have the most emotional impact for me.
Also "we will deep dry your kebab" cracks me up everytime, more so because of the framing of the shot. It almost has more focus than Wanda does.

Vahla_Hanesh

Th3solution

@LN78 Well whadoyaknow, The Rocketeer is on Disney+. Just added it to my watchlist for when I have the time and mood. Thanks! 😃

@RogerRoger There is a trend toward many action and fantasy/Sci-Fi movies to get a little over-the-top with non-stop sequences of excessive dynamism, heavy CGI, explosions, car chases, shootouts, and each one grander that the last. Sometimes it gets a little fatiguing as a viewer and it’s easy to lose sight of an actual plot. Thankfully I think the MCU strikes a good balance there. The focus on character development and story doesn’t suffer, in my opinion, when the explosions start. But there are plenty of ‘Avengers moments’ to come.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

Th3solution

@RogerRoger Oh and by the way, I forgot to answer your question ... 😅. (I’ve had a strange week, as usual. Forgive my air-headedness)
The quote in my footer actual was adopted by me independent of Killian’s use of it. I’d seen it online before, so certainly his character borrowed it from the pool of witticisms out there in the ether. But yes, it’s a good one. I’ve used it in the forum signature for a while so I might change it at some point, as soon as something else strikes me. I have a weakness for sharp clever sayings.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

Th3solution

@LN78 I’ll definitely post my thoughts when I do. Yeah, the Netflix logic offered up the Indiana Jones movies as alternatives when I searched for it there, as other titles ‘similar to’ it that they did have in their library. So that’s a great sign since I really like those.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

Th3solution

@LN78 I think I’d probably lean toward the optimistic side, for the reasons you state. It’s always a tricky situation when tackling an established franchise that’s been dormant for many years, but I feel like there was some lessons learned with Crystal Skull that Mangold is apt to take into consideration. And, although I wasn’t quite as enamored with Logan as the collective viewership (I actually liked The Wolverine a little better, but both were solid and apparently miles better than X-Men Origins: Wolverine which I avoided due to the backlash) it was at least daring and showed a willingness to deviate from customary formulae to achieve the impact. Also, ironically he has producer credits on two films I just happened to have watched in the last couple weeks — The Call of the Wild and The Greatest Showman, both of which I was able to find some enjoyment from, despite being different from my usual movie watching fare. Agree on Ford v Ferrari too — that was a really good character-study type of film. If nothing else, the guy has shown a solid ability to manage top tier actors. I haven’t seen 3:10 to Yuma or Knight and Day or Girl, Interrupted, but I liked Walk the Line fairly well, even if it was just a standard safe biographical style film. He has quite a breadth of work and having worked with the likes of Cruise, Phoenix, Jackman, Jolie, Bale, and Ford before, I think as long as he is given freedom to do things his own way then it should be an interesting take on Indiana Jones.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

RogerRoger

@Vahla_Hanesh Thanks; the more I hear about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. the more I'm convinced I'll enjoy it, so it'll definitely follow the MCU (although perhaps not right away).

I've just finished watching The Winter Soldier and it's immediately gone into second place in my rankings; at its heart, it was a very polished, exciting and entertaining political spy thriller. It also continues the best love story of the franchise thusfar, which I liked a lot. Superb stuff.

@Th3solution No forgiveness necessary, as I'd also describe strange weeks as the "usual" so I'll just say a simple thanks, for coming back again. It's a great saying, and it's always interesting whenever I see or hear equivalents used in movies; I like to know whether the scriptwriters deserve a pat on the back, or the researchers. Seeing it on here every other day made it stand out a little extra!

And I think you're right, in your previous comment. Phase Two seems to be making a conscious effort to ensure all the "pew pew pew" has a point, in either story or character. It's gratifying to see, especially since it would've been real easy to simply make disposable cash cow sequels.

"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

Th3solution

@RogerRoger I agree on Winter Soldier being in the MCU’s top 5 or so. It’s uniquely constructed as an espionage thriller so serves as a breath of fresh air in the series. And I like the evolution of Cap’s character into the moral compass for SHIELD. They balance Cap’s Boy-Scoutish ideology of the 1950’s with his renegade machismo quite well. It does have some of the best action sequences in the series too, imo.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

RogerRoger

@Th3solution Thanks; absolutely with you there, completely.

Tomorrow it'll be Guardians of the Galaxy and I'm a little nervous. I came close to fatigue during the first half of Thor: The Dark World (thank goodness the second half improved things) and I'm worried it's an indicator that I won't like the stuff that takes place away from Earth.

But hey, open minds and all that. Hearing so many talk so positively about it and its sequel gives me hope, and I'm certainly interested to see it, all concerns aside.

"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

nessisonett

@RogerRoger I’d probably say Thor 2 is the worst of the lot so I wouldn’t think too deeply about why you almost fell asleep! I’m not a huge fan of the Iron Man movies (especially 2 and 3) either so I did think the movies got better throughout Phase Two.

Plumbing’s just Lego innit. Water Lego.

Trans rights are human rights.

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