Topic: The Movie Thread

@nessisonett True. Even while typing my comment I was kinda thinking how probably the average person wouldn't know Northern China from the Mountain States (that certainly goes for me too) but I don't know, I guess I just don't expect much from Disney so I'm not all that upset. And I care even less about the opinion of some lone actor.

Still, nothing wrong with pressuring a company (and individuals) to do more. So my devil's advocate bit is probably unnecessary, at best.

I watched Cinderella 2015 5 years ago.
This is my favorite part.

@Th3solution Good shout on the Princess Bride, I've also seen it many times and one of those films I've repurchased every time a new format has come out. Other comfort food films for me would include the aforementioned BttF trilogy, Tremors as well as The Incredibles and The Iron Giant.

This weekend I watched the last two Rebirth of Mothra films, which are on the same disc.

Rebirth of Mothra II (Blu-Ray)

The Premise:

• After mysteriously violent starfish (yes, you heard that right) start swarming the seas, a group of Okinawan school kids join up with a magical creepy off brand Furby called Gorgo (which can heal wounds by peeing on them, ew) and Mothra's little retainer women on a quest to find the resting place of an ancient civilization, whom are said to have a treasure capable of bringing the calamity to an end. Of course, there's a seafaring Kaiju involved as well, which is where film's most famous moth comes into play.

The Takeaway:

• This is honestly the weakest of the trilogy, IMO. While the first & third RoM films have the rilvalry between Mothra's retainers & their estranged sister Belvera more tightly woven into their narratives (as well as ancient threats with a history with Mothra), they feel sort of tacked on here. It's more of a kid friendly adventure movie with ancient ruins (including an "invisible bridge" scene aped from Indiana Jones), and a couple of bumbling adult pursuers who are after Gorgo for the fame of discovering a new species. It's best bits are a couple of gags early on in the film, the first where the kids accidentally send a caterpillar flying down the front of their teacher's shirt, and the second a completely random shot of a falling cigarette catching a cat's tail on fire. Oh, and Mothra gains the ability to transform into a Moth/Shark hybrid during the climax. Truly odd film.

Rebirth of Mothra III (Blu-Ray)

The Premise:

• Wisdom, Courage, Pow... er, Love, these are the three sides of the Trif... er, Elias Triangle, and only by putting their differences behind them & joining forces can Mothra's retainers & Belvera give Mothra the power to face her biggest challenge yet, King Ghidorah, whom has returned to Earth after millions of years to bestow upon humanity the same fate it extended to the dinosaurs, extinction (and to kidnap children, lots & lots of children, to eat).

The Takeaway:

• This was a pretty solid Kaiju film if you like the genre. The rivalry between the sisters is finally resolved, and after some time travel shenanigans Mothra recieves a pretty cool armored makeover. Also lots of SEGA product placement. The family that gets involved in all of this are farmers, and the father definitely has a stuffed Tails, and I think a little stuffed Knuckles in his truck, while two separate Stuffed Sonics can briefly be seen mere seconds apart during a scene in the house. Lastly, there's a kid playing with the detachable part of the Dreamcast controller in school, of which we get a close up shot of after he's kidnapped by Ghidorah & it's left on the floor.

The Package:

• As with the other Godzilla/Mothra films I have, it has a collection of both films' original Japanese trailers.

So this Cuties thing seems to have gotten out of hand, or those disgruntled with its existence sure are getting a lot of attention anyway.

I will say the poster in question is a little bonkers. But then so is that Toddlers and Tiaras show. Also I guess there's nothing creepy about the Miss Teen USA apparently (and the stories that come with it).

Still it's fairly clear, no one involved in the making of the film seems to think the poster represents the movie. It's also clear someone at marketing screwed up but the film itself, in all probability, is not unadulterated child porn.

But I guess when your entire political identity revolves around unmasking the lizard people and their child sex rings...

@zupertramp The film itself is a criticism of the sexualisation around children doing TikTok dances and the like. It was Netflix and the marketing team that dropped the ball. It’s interesting to see it garner such an impressive critical reaction when it first screened as the controversy just doesn’t lie in the movie. It strikes me as a sorta ‘hey, they can’t criticise the pedo-in-chief if they’re pedos too’ deal. A certain section of society have had a problem with Netflix for years for being ‘too woke’ and this is just the opportunity they needed. Doesn’t take away from how terrible Netflix have screwed over that director though, she’s taking flack from people who know nothing about the film’s actual plot.

@nessisonett The upshot is I'm considering finding the film and watching it when I otherwise probably wouldn't have. Death threats aside, any publicity is good publicity I suppose.

@zupertramp I dunno, there’s fame and then there’s infamy. It’s going to be very hard for that director to find funding for any future films.

Colour Out of Space. Finally a lovecraftian film which hits the right notes. I've seen a few over the years and I've usually been left wanting for various reasons. This one delivers. It does have its fair share of faults, with some dodgy looking cgi when used (although there is not loads of it) and some of the acting felt a bit flat in places. Nic Cage's ott style actually suits his characters descent into madness here, flipping between different characters sporadically. The physical effects are cool when used, reminding me of John Carpenter’s The Thing , which is one all my all time favourite films ever.

The use of colour in film is awesome. The tone of magneta was specifically chosen, as it doesn't exist from a single wavelength on the colour spectrum of visible light and is only perceived by humans in a specific interaction of the optics rods in their eyes that detect red and blue colours to create the magenta colour in their minds. Which suits the film perfectly and actually has an important meaning to the story.

It won't be for everyone and could be a wee too artsy/bonkers/trippy for some. But i f'in loved it. Gonna try and get in on 4K as could only find in normal blu ray in the uk.

Midway (2019)

I watched this movie last night. I’ll cut to the chase. Midway is probably one of my favorite new movies I’ve watched this year. And by “new” I mean one that was released within the last few years. I will admit that it may not appeal to a wide audience, depending on one’s individual interest level in WWII and specifically the Pacific Theater of the war. Some of you may remember one of my particular historical interests is that WWII period and specifically in the Naval Battles, strategies, and conflicts with the Japanese Empire. My American heritage probably influences that fascination, so I’m not sure if the European among you would find any interest in the goings on over here while Hitler was causing all those problems over on the other side of the Atlantic.

War movies tend to focus on heroic deeds and efforts, heavily villainize one party or the other, and skirt the strategic parts of battle that are actually what ultimately wins and loses wars. And to be fair, Midway does this to a degree with the specific handful of characters whose tales it chooses to tell during its 2 hour run time. But it strikes a good balance of mixing in the drama behind the scenes in the war rooms of the American and Japanese Naval officers. I appreciated the entertainment value of following a good storyline of real individuals on the front lines and their struggles, but I applaud the movie for also portraying a representation of the officers, code breakers, and strategists who were equally as important to the outcomes of the Pacific battles. And there’s plenty of explosions, adrenaline fueled battle scenes, and intense action to keep the average viewer entertained as well.

The film also does a great job of setting up the Battle of Midway. We all know the story of what happened at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and it has been rehashed in several movies over the years. But it was nice that the film spent at least a little time getting the backstory right about why the ensuing battles were so critical, namely the Battle of Midway. To tell the story of Midway and the importance of the carrier US Enterprise and the dive bombers without seeing the context of Pearl Harbor would be telling only a partial tale. About how the carriers were spared involvement at Pearl Harbor, or how the Japanese leadership’s approach cost them strategic advantage... well, it would be just scratching the surface of the story of Midway. Without the backstory one may not understand why Midway has been called the most decisive blow in Naval warfare history.

I really appreciated the inclusion of the related story of Doolittle’s raid on Tokyo. Doolittle’s raid is something of a footnote to the larger history of the war, mostly because casualties were minimal (except for the aftermath upon the Chinese who assisted in Doolittle’s escape), but the rattling effect on the Japanese Empire’s psyche of having American bombers reach Tokyo is often forgotten and I was glad to see that highlighted in the film. The strategic reaction of the Japanese commanders was largely influenced by Doolittle’s raid.

The acting, cinematography, and special effects are really quite fantastic. I must admit when Woody Harrelson popped up on the screen as Admiral Nimitz, the US leader of Pacific Operations, I held my breath that he could fill such a vaunted role. Harrelson didn’t disappoint and came off as professional and with the convincing demeanor of an Admiral, yet giving off his own special screen personality in the process. Other performances were top notch as well. Special shout out to the Japanese cast who really sold their roles as the big players Yamamoto, Nagumo, and Yamaguchi.

In case you couldn’t tell, I really liked Midway and if you have an interest in WWII history, then give it a look. For a big budget movie designed to appeal to the masses, it’s a pretty accurate peek into the early months of the Pacific portion of the War.

@Th3solution Impressive write-up there. I gotta admit I'd had little interest in this movie as all the promotional material I saw for it gave off a wartime propaganda vibe. Like a fluff piece to remind us all how exceptional America is. So it's interesting to read your comments. I'll have to give it a watch now.

@Th3solution Yeah, as @zupertramp alludes to, it sounds like Midway needs better marketing. There's an unskippable trailer for it preceding a lot of programmes on my Amazon Prime stick at the moment (it's one of their recent additions) and I dismissed it for looking like a cheesy, cookie-cutter piece of Hollywood schlock. On the flipside, your write-up has me sold. I'll add it to my watchlist later. Thank you!

@zupertramp @RogerRoger It’s certainly possible that unconscious nationalism could have crept into my enjoyment, so maybe take it with a grain of salt. But like I say, there was clear effort to show a fair amount of accuracy. For example, how poor the U.S. torpedo technology was, how inexperienced a lot of the pilots were, how dive-bombing incredibly inaccurate by today’s standards, and how much better equipped the Japanese were in general. The U.S. forces were assisted by a fair amount of good fortune in the early battles (including Pearl Harbor, actually) and so perhaps that portrayal may come off as some kind of bloated predestiny, but in the movie it really didn’t seem too obnoxious to me. A few courageous men with a little luck on their side, an eccentric decoder, and an admiral willing to take a chance and listen to his advisers was all it took to stem the tide.

It was also interesting to watch it while playing Ghost of Tsushima alongside because the deep-rooted Japanese culture of honor is a major part of historical happenings. The way of the Samurai still very much influenced decision making during WWII.

@Th3solution I'm gonna go slightly off course here and recommend you read a book called Japan 1941 - Countdown to Infamy by Eri Hotta, if you haven't already.

Took a Japanese history course somewhat recently for my history degree and although that's really not my area of focus I still found the course interesting and really appreciated being assigned this book. You sound well read on the topic so you might learn less from it than I did but I figure you can never know too much regarding history.

Also it's funny, I'll admit to some sense of nationalism (or something) when watching any film where the Navy is involved as I served. It's weird I didn't even like being in the Navy and at this point in my life I'm sorta against the idea of militaries generally but there's a pride there that I guess I can't shake lol. So it's understandable. We've all been steeped in it to some degree.

Edit: I should mention the book is all about the Japanese decision making process in the lead up to Pearl Harbor. Sounds boring when I put it like that but I promise I'm not doing it justice.

On the topic of rather nationalist movies, I bloody hate Braveheart. Not the message it sends but more the cheesiness of the movie, the fact it’s become both an insult and actually used by the independence movement and the glaring historical inaccuracies. I could probably name on one hand the number of movies set over here that are actually good. Trainspotting, Ratcatcher, Under the Skin, The Wicker Man. Maybe Gregory’s Girl, it’s pretty outdated though.

@nessisonett How did you feel about Outlaw King? Interestingly, that's the first time I saw Florence Pugh.

But yeah Braveheart is one of those movies that gets less good the more you learn about the subject. Don't get me wrong I'll still watch it, but it is disappointing that so much of it is just, like, made up.

When you say "over here" do you mean the UK generally or are you actually in Scotland? Sorry if that's a dumb question, I just have no idea where any of those were filmed.

@zupertramp Yeah, Scotland specifically, it’s impressive we’ve maintained a rich historical and cultural difference from the rest of the UK, all things considered. Outlaw King wasn’t the worst movie I watched and I did appreciate the more grounded take on history. This is despite the fact that they never have our soldiers in yellow! Again though, can we not just cast Scottish actors in these types of movies? We have quite a few of that type as well, Richard Madden, James McAvoy or god forbid, Gerard Butler could huge easily stepped into that role. It’s not an easy accent and while actually Chris Pine’s attempt wasn’t terrible, it still jarred. I can imagine it’s the same when you get actors doing southern accents or West Country accents or similar if you’re from that area.

@zupertramp Thanks, friend! I have not read that one, although after taking a minute to read a few summaries and reviews of the book, I feel like I’ve read some other books that appear to be influenced by it. The ideas sound familiar from other analytic dissections I’ve read concerning the Japanese history leading to Pearl Harbor and the rather confusing road that led to the attack. I think I would like to check out Dr. Hotta’s book; looks fascinating.

I’m just a casual scholar of history with no bona fide academic training in the subject so if my musings come across as ignorant, please forgive me. 😅 It’s just one of my hobbies. American history and Asian history are some of the areas I tend to gravitate toward most, but I dabble in some of the European stuff too. Good to know we have an specialist on the forums — And a Navy veteran to boot! What an interesting perspective you bring!

I watched Ford V Ferrari/Le Mans 66. I actually really enjoyed it, a solid biopic with some great performances from the main cast. It did feel slightly long and left you feeling a bit deflated and sad at the end but it was worth a watch, for sure. A cut above your average sports movie.

@nessisonett That's cool you're in Scotland. While I was stationed in Cornwall some friends and I nearly took a trip up there to stay in some castle and sightsee but there was this petrol shortage or something the days we were meant to go and we never made it up there. I've always regretted we never found the time later.

Chris Pine is definitely my favorite Chris but I agree with you on casting. I'm all for actors acting but a little authenticity never hurt anyone either. Liked Ford vs Ferrari but didn't love it. Still think Rush is better.

@Th3solution I wouldn't sell yourself short; as long as you can read, evaluate sources, and think even somewhat critically about the information you come across you're probably doing better than most. You'd be surprised how many history majors seem to abhor reading. It's bewildering.

And I'm certainly no specialist, I love school and I love to learn but I've no intention of ever finishing my degree. I have to be careful so as not to go off on a rant here so I'll just say, in my view, you can certainly learn and improve yourself in college if you choose but it doesn't seem to be a requirement so I find the whole exercise a bit fraudulent.

Anyway you've not come across ignorant to me but again, WWII, while certainly fascinating, has just never been my passion. Same with Japanese history. I'm more of a Latin American/Mexican history guy. Also Russian history is so insane to me it's hard not to be riveted by it.