Topic: The Movie Thread

@Ralizah @nessisonett Ya know, for as revered and venerated that Spielberg is as a filmmaker, he’s made some real clunkers. In fact, I’d say you’ve got to go way back to Saving Private Ryan for a truly seminal film he’s directed. I suppose Lincoln in 2012 and maybe War Horse before that were really well respected, but I’m not sure I’d consider them modern classics. In fact, I think I fell asleep during War Horse and the greatness of Lincoln had as much to do with the epic performance of Daniel Day-Lewis as anything.

I have seen praise for The Post but it haven’t really shook the world like his older stuff like Private Ryan and Schindler’s List, Indiana Jones, E.T., Close Encounters, Jaws, The Color Purple, etc, etc. from his early career.

@Th3solution I quite like Tintin, Minority Report and AI but yeah, SPR is probably the last ‘seminal’ movie he’s made. Every director makes clunkers but Spielberg has rather a few.

@nessisonett I don’t remember much about A.I., other than I remember liking it, but the lack of any detailed impressions is telling. Also agree on Minority Report being good. At the time the visual effects were somewhat progressive too. But in the end it’s simply a good solid Sci Fi movie and not “great”. Same with War of the Worlds.

I will say that Spielberg doesn’t back down from attempting a full range of genres. He does a lot of Sci Fi and summer blockbuster popcorn flicks, but also tackles the heavy dramatic stuff too. I’ll give him that.
He’s also shown an ability to work well with a variety of high budget actors which is a talent in and of itself. Hanks, Cruise, DeCaprio, Ford, Day-Lewis, Streep, Sam L Jackson, etc in addition to the unknowns.

I need to watch Catch Me if You Can again. I remember thinking that was vastly underrated.

@Ralizah @nessisonett

They problem with Ready Player One is that it's just not that compelling of a story. I read it, because of the hype and found it fairly mediocre but thought the film could, with some alterations, improve upon the presentation of an 80s nostalgia-gasm but it honestly made it worse in some respects.

In regards to Spielberg, looking over his directing filmography, I'd agree he certainly hasn't done anything that's had the impact his earlier stuff did. Even Munich, which should have been a really powerful film, probably would have been better in the hands of someone else. And I agree with @Th3solution that it's hard not to credit DDL for Lincoln's impact.

Anyway, watched Freaky last night. Can't complain. Some fun homages to other horror classics and a good performance from Vince Vaughn (along with a couple supporting-role standouts) make it a perfectly enjoyable popcorn flick. Didn't realize it'd be quite so gory but it is Blumhouse so I guess that's on me.

@Th3solution @zupertramp @nessisonett Sounds like y'all are sleeping on Bridge of Spies.

I want to like Minority Report, but I just don't think the execution lives up to the interesting, potentially morally layered concept. Spielberg is one of the most important figures in the medium, but, IMO, he's not at his best with science-fiction (Jurassic Park is an exception because it leans into his strength of focusing primarily on character relationships, with the dinosaur stuff mostly making for an entertaining backdrop). Also, Tom Cruise. Ugh.

@Ralizah I did sleep on Bridge of Spies. Right through its runtime.

God I’m in a snarky mood. But I didn’t really enjoy that movie 😂

@Ralizah yeah I admit to not having seen it, along with most of his other work post-2000 but then, that's part of the problem I think. Very little of what he's done in the last couple decades feels like required viewing. It's just kinda there.

And I really like Minority Report but I think it could have been darker and not wrapped up so nicely (so yeah, I don't know if that's the same as more morally layered but I feel like we're on kinda the same page).

@zupertramp Yeah, Minority Report is another example of a great concept funnelled into a bit of a bog-standard narrative.

So no one is keen on Spielberg's take on West Side Story then? 😂

Few older Spielberg films that weren't mentioned but are hits, Jurassic Park, Catch Me if You Can, and one kinda recent - The Post. The Post being probably his best recent work imo. Full of drama and suspense for a film where typewriters are wielded as weapons. Especially fitting in this day and age. Would The Post respond the same way today? Very doubtful under current ownership. Have yet to see Lincoln though. Def. on my radar now.

@Snottie_Drippen I've been told I definitely need to watch The Post by a friend but I don't know, isn't it just All The President's Men?

@zupertramp from what I recall The Post can be thought of as a prequel to APM. The Post is mostly aimed at the story from view of the editors and publishers which ended up breaking the news. More of a behind the scenes movie into the build up of the whole thing as the watergate break in took place a year later.

@zupertramp The Post is like The Lion King 1 1/2 to All The President’s Men, except with the most vanilla cast imaginable.

@Snottie_Drippen @nessisonett

lol I love how different these two descriptions are to the point that now I feel like I have to watch it just to know which is more accurate.

@nessisonett @zupertramp yeah one of us is exaggerating or sarcastic. Hard to determine.

Anyway.
The Post is a good recent(2017) Spielberg film. The irony with the cast is that group of progressive elitists would never, EVER, in reality. Which makes me believe not very vanilla, at all.

So watched Rent last night. Don't ask why. What a god awful musical. That's the review.

@zupertramp I agree to be honest. I like the musical but the movie adaptation is really bad. The sorta fake bohemian stylings come across quite phoney.

Just watched Tina (the Tina Turner documentary on Sky) and it was very good. Although I grew up watching and listening to her, Elton John and Freddie Mercury… it is only when I’ve watched the various films (this, Whats Love Got To Do With It, Rocketman & Bohemian Rhapsody) does it hit me what these artists actually produced. I guess it all just faded into my childhood milieu and lied there dormant until these films have opened up a rich vein of memories and nostalgia.

Great story, great woman and seemingly a massive inspiration for where women have progressed in the last 50 years.

@RogerRoger my daughter had a short summer camp thing where they put on a scene/song from Rent. So afterward we figured we should brush up. And I figured well the film has one of the hottest women in the planet so how bad could it be?

I'd watch all 3 high school musicals before watching that again.

@nessisonett really curious how the actual musical could be different but I'll try not to judge it on the film

@zupertramp Well, for starters, the stage play has charm and energy. It’s constantly in motion plus the characters are played by a lot younger actors, meaning the ‘struggling actor’ vibes are a bit more interesting. It’s no coincidence that Rent and Phantom of the Opera both got theatrical releases of the stage play only a couple years after the movies!