The General Movie Thread

[Truth66]

I have to agree with the comments that Aliens was a really great Alien sequel. It still remains as my all time favorite Sci Fi Horror Film.

This reminds me, I need to watch it again (lol).

A quick question for those Aliens fans:

With the extended version readily available, do people think the added scenes add to the story or slow the movie down in any way. Personally I like the extended version better. A good example is the scene where it shows the thriving colony before the arrival of the colonial marines.

[Ubik]

Villeneuve is literally my least favourite director; I'd rather see Blade Runner as made by Uwe Boll. I'm sure it'll be visually stunning, agonizingly slow, and intellectually hollow, much like every movie he's gotten praised for. Gah.

I wish some stories would just be left alone. Blade Runner was fine as it was. I'd be all in favour of a good Alien sequel - that's a story that lends itself to expansion - but nobody apart from James Cameron seems to know how to do it.

Actually, somebody get JMS to write an Alien sequel...

I thought Arrival was beautifully made. One of the better SF features of the past years that wasn't a half arsed sequel, prequel or reboot.

[Jonas]

With the extended version readily available, do people think the added scenes add to the story or slow the movie down in any way. Personally I like the extended version better. A good example is the scene where it shows the thriving colony before the arrival of the colonial marines.

I think the extended version is better. More texture, more flavour. The new scenes are good. Not that the original is bad in any way.

[alpha128]

A quick question for those Aliens fans:

With the extended version readily available, do people think the added scenes add to the story or slow the movie down in any way. Personally I like the extended version better. A good example is the scene where it shows the thriving colony before the arrival of the colonial marines.

I haven't seen the entire extended cut, but I have seen some clips. One thing I like about the theatrical version is that the audience has the same level of knowledge that the arriving marines do. So, you're piecing together what happened to the colony at the same time the characters are.

[Satai with Punsch]

A quick question for those Aliens fans:

With the extended version readily available, do people think the added scenes add to the story or slow the movie down in any way. Personally I like the extended version better. A good example is the scene where it shows the thriving colony before the arrival of the colonial marines.

I think many of the added scenes takes away some of the tension in the original. I really like the fact that we know nothing until the marines arrive. The automatic sentry-guns scene especially. That one had been much better from the marines perspective as well. Something like:

Ripley and the marines in the main room.
A control panel,maybe with a view screen, and the marines talking over it:
Bishop: No 1 is registering movement.
Hicks: 'Bout time.
*blamblamblam* (ammo counter sinking)
Vasquez: Ha, got you sucker!
Hicks: Wait, more movement at the other one ...
*blamblamblam* (ammo counter sinking)
Vasquez: Ha, we got the other ones as well! Our work here is done.
*blamblamblamblamblam on and on* (ammocounters turns to zero)
Ripley: What just happened?
Hicks: Both sentries ran out of ammo ...
(exchanging silent looks).
Hudson: We're f****d.

[Looney]

Okay bringing back this old thread to mention BRIGHTBURN (2019) because it really doesn't deserve its own thread, but maybe some folks want to talk about it. This is a bit of a SPOILER, but there is a key point people should know - there is excessive gore in this film that is done with realism and cruelty. I don't mind excessive gore when it is done in a way that makes it almost fun and not particularly believable. Movie gore you know is movie gore. This movie doesn't have that.

Subjective Review - The excessive gore pretty much ruined it for me.

Objective Review - The excessive gore did not make it a bad movie. It is not the strongest movie ever and the excessive gore is awful, but as far as I could tell the excessive gore was only done once without purpose. The other instances were done with purpose to the structure of the film. Only one time was it done with no meaning and prolonged only for exploitative shock value. I mean there were other instances that were excessively long, but for reasons that fed the plot of the film.

So now I put that out there. I felt I had to say something because I know the subject matter might have some of our group here intrigued and I wanted to warn them about what they are in for if they decide to see this movie.

[Ubik]

I watched 'High Life' recently, very good realist SF with some art house stylings. Quite bleak at times, reminds me a bit of Solaris but perhaps not quite as impressionistic or slow moving.

https://youtu.be/AtOwfo1ypOw

Robert Pattinson absolutely shakes off his sparkly vampire past here. Really strong performance with a lot of nuance. Then again, he's done a lot of smaller more intelligent films since then. Recommended.

[Looney]

I watched 'High Life' recently, very good realist SF with some art house stylings. Quite bleak at times, reminds me a bit of Solaris but perhaps not quite as impressionistic or slow moving.

https://youtu.be/AtOwfo1ypOw

Robert Pattinson absolutely shakes off his sparkly vampire past here. Really strong performance with a lot of nuance. Then again, he's done a lot of smaller more intelligent films since then. Recommended.

Yeah I definitely agree. I think he has shaken TWILIGHT better Stewart, but I think he is likely more talented.


I watched MY DINNER WITH HERVE (2018) last night. WOW! There are some great performances in that movie. I actually just happened to spot it on the shelf at my local VIDEO STORE - yes we still have one. I saw Peter Dinklage was in it and grabbed it immediately. I was NOT disappointed. He was amazing. I am shocked I haven't heard more about this movie. I am guessing it is because it was made for HBO and honestly I think the overall purpose of this semi-biopic hasn't got the appeal it use to. I don't think there are masses and masses of people whom care much about dramatized celebrity biographical movies anymore unless you are talking about major current world renown celebs.

[Looney]

DId anyone happen to see the DEADWOOD movie on HBO? I won't be able to see it until it gets a physical media release, but I am curious to know if it was any good.

[phazedout]

I have access to it, with a hbo nordic subscription, but i never finished watching the original show, and i understand it is a continuation, so i may have to restart from scratch

[Kraig]

DId anyone happen to see the DEADWOOD movie on HBO? I won't be able to see it until it gets a physical media release, but I am curious to know if it was any good.

I've recorded it but I haven't watched it yet.

I give you a screen shot as a teaser.

[Looney]

I am so torn about that series. I love how authentic it felt, but I hate the brutality. I am really weird. I have no problem with violence in movies, but when there is a certain realism and cruelty to it I can't stand it. That is what DEADWOOD had for me. It is odd. I can stand seeing hundreds of gun fights and explosions, but then I can see one person get stabbed a certain way and I feel like they went too far. I think part of what got me in DEADWOOD was W. Earl Brown was the actor behind many cruel deaths and what I knew him for before DEADWOOD was as Warren from THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY (1998). Seeing someone who played a gentle character and then seeing them play a character who performed these very real seeming acts of cruel murder just really bothered me. Actor aside there is something about the authenticity of horrible things in movies that just gets me.

Just read on article on David Milch and his battle with Alzheimer's disease. Very sad.

[Ubik]

Deadwood film is on my 'to watch' list. Series was superb, the dialogue alone made it worth watching. And Looney, you're right it is true to form, the old west was brutal and unforgiving. At least the violence and realism has a purpose, unlike some shows. I honestly thought the balance was good, and it made it all the more affecting.

[Looney]

CHILD'S PLAY (2019)

Okay so admittedly I did not have high expectations for this film. Obviously Babylon 5's own Brad Dourif created a character in 1988 that has lasted and maybe shouldn't have been messed with, but they did - but they also didn't. CHILD'S PLAY 2019 is not CHILD'S PLAY (1988). There are similarities and the spirit of an 80's horror film is there, but this is a doll of a different generation. If you enjoy the original franchise this might seem a bit like sacrilege, but I don't think it really is. It is different enough that the two can exist independently of each other. I enjoyed CHILD'S PLAY (2019) much more that I thought I would and if you enjoy the original you should give this one at least one viewing.

[Looney]

Watched a couple of real winners recently....




JURASSIC CITY (2015) had some great casting, but a completely ridiculous plot. Genetically created dinosaurs taken to a prison for temporary lockdown when there is a problem while they are being transported. A prison that happens to have just received a serial killer who kills young women and a bunch of young women arrested for partying too hard at their sorority. Dinosaurs, Corporate Mercenaries, Prison Guards, a Warden, drunk tank bums, drunk tank young party girl, a couple of thuggish women, young woman serial killer, and three sorority girls. And despite there being 20 Prison Guards there don't appear to be any other prisoners other than the people in the two drunk tanks - maybe they explained this and I missed it. I think that sums it up. LOL




JURASSIC GALAXY (2018)



JURASSIC GALAXY (2018) was a much better attempt that fell utterly short with a completely uninspired and unoriginal plot. Definitely better low budget CGI than JURASSIC CITY (2015), but it is still pretty bad in spots.

I searched and could not find the link I expected to find between these two masterpieces. In fairness, I didn't search too hard.