Official Film Discussion and Last Movie You Watched

[Robcardu]

That estrogen you are taking for your sex change is working ;D

first time in mecca history a comment of yours makes me laugh.

 

[Braaq]

I watched it.

2/10

Thankfully I avoided having to write an actual review.

Can you write one for here so I can know how cinimatically it is not very good? I liked it, but I can see where you would get that rating. I am just curious hearing your thoughts about it.

 

[FuManChu]

Twilight - 8/10 Great movie. I was actually surprised, I didn't think it was going to be as good as it was. It may be just my opinion but I enjoyed it. I like how they portrayed the vampires, but the ending wasn't very good.

:io:

 

[tim290280]

Just watched Burn After Reading.

Quite funny and exactly what I'd expect from the Coen's. Unfortuneately at the end I was left feeling what was the entire point of the film? I have to say though that is was very well done and the characters and their interactions brilliant.


And Braaq seriously! I saw a preview for Twilight and could feel my testicles shrinking!

 

[Achilles]

Fast & Furious

7/10 pretty good for a sequal

 

[Braaq]

And Braaq seriously! I saw a preview for Twilight and could feel my testicles shrinking!

I was thinking the same thing, but it was actually good.

 

[Line]

I was thinking the same thing, but it was actually good.

But...it wasn't? From a formal or, rather, a more "traditional" critical standpoint it was poorly acted, shot, and written. From my understanding, Edward was supposed to have this mysterious, romanticized air to him in the book, one which extended beyond his coeds thinking he was "hot" or "gorgeous" or whatever word kids are using these days. Robert Pattinson did a bad job of projecting this vibe, though much fault lies with the director as well, who seems to have taken a 100-level "How to direct movies" course and jumped immediately into the game. The aesthetic is harsh and bleachy, the camera obvious; the effects even more so. In scenes of "action" or faux-suspense, the fast-tracking dolly shots take a back seat to generic handheld ones; a motif as elementary as possible. Yeah, you're trying to exude a sense of immediacy. We get it. There are other ways to do this.

Character arcs are probably the picture's biggest problem, as it starts off grounding its characters relatively well before delving into the trivialities of their lives and portraying them as showpiece activities. The baseball scene, for one, was stupid. It was purported to introduce how Bella was to be hunted, sure, but this could have been done in a handful of other ways that didn't involve gratuitous use of poor CGI and an even poorer understanding of projectile motion. That's right, I'll criticize the film's understanding of physics, because vampires are, by definition, of super strength but the film takes ideas - potentially interesting ones at that - like, "What would it be like if incredibly strong creatures played baseball?" and turns it into a gimmick. I'm not asking for realism here because I know we're dealing with vampires which, you know, aren't real, but isn't the point of the film to show how their "condition" makes it difficult, nay, impossible to live a normal life? If this is the case (I know it is) why not actually put attention into the details instead of taking a unique thought and taking it in the most obvious direction?

The handling of vampire lore was poor at best, though this largely due to the film being based off source material. Seriously though, sparkling like diamonds in the daylight? It doesn't even make sense. This isn't hindering of their abilities in the slightest but instead just makes their lives a little less convenient. The ominous, overdone "tension" between the vampire crowd and the werewolf tribe is also half-baked up to this point. It serves more as a reminder of things to come, but is ultimately a pointless inclusion in this film, as its given far too much weight from a directorial sense. It's reduced to a red herring basically, causing the viewer to think one threat is imminent when it's scrapped for another, carelessly introduced one (namely the vampire tracker). The bookend quote of the main narrative (something about sacrificing life for someone you love) is also a formally poor choice, as its aimed at causing those who haven't read the book to think she's referring to Edward and not her mother. Wow, such a shocking twist! What started off decently soon turned into a grating experience as it eschewed detail and overtly concerned itself with minutia. What a ridiculously inconsistent movie.

 

[Robcardu]

Fast & Furious, i liked it in all honesty i thought it would be a lot worse.

 

[Tech]

Fast & Furious, i liked it in all honesty i thought it would be a lot worse.

 

[Skeptic]

The boat that rocked - 8/10 - Thoroughly enjoyed it

 

[Zigurd]

first time in mecca history a comment of yours makes me laugh.

You broke my little heart with that statement.

 

[brendan]

resident evil : extinction. (2007)
a good movie but not the best.

 

[Braaq]

But...it wasn't? From a formal or, rather, a more "traditional" critical standpoint it was poorly acted, shot, and written. From my understanding, Edward was supposed to have this mysterious, romanticized air to him in the book, one which extended beyond his coeds thinking he was "hot" or "gorgeous" or whatever word kids are using these days. Robert Pattinson did a bad job of projecting this vibe, though much fault lies with the director as well, who seems to have taken a 100-level "How to direct movies" course and jumped immediately into the game. The aesthetic is harsh and bleachy, the camera obvious; the effects even more so. In scenes of "action" or faux-suspense, the fast-tracking dolly shots take a back seat to generic handheld ones; a motif as elementary as possible. Yeah, you're trying to exude a sense of immediacy. We get it. There are other ways to do this.

Character arcs are probably the picture's biggest problem, as it starts off grounding its characters relatively well before delving into the trivialities of their lives and portraying them as showpiece activities. The baseball scene, for one, was stupid. It was purported to introduce how Bella was to be hunted, sure, but this could have been done in a handful of other ways that didn't involve gratuitous use of poor CGI and an even poorer understanding of projectile motion. That's right, I'll criticize the film's understanding of physics, because vampires are, by definition, of super strength but the film takes ideas - potentially interesting ones at that - like, "What would it be like if incredibly strong creatures played baseball?" and turns it into a gimmick. I'm not asking for realism here because I know we're dealing with vampires which, you know, aren't real, but isn't the point of the film to show how their "condition" makes it difficult, nay, impossible to live a normal life? If this is the case (I know it is) why not actually put attention into the details instead of taking a unique thought and taking it in the most obvious direction?

The handling of vampire lore was poor at best, though this largely due to the film being based off source material. Seriously though, sparkling like diamonds in the daylight? It doesn't even make sense. This isn't hindering of their abilities in the slightest but instead just makes their lives a little less convenient. The ominous, overdone "tension" between the vampire crowd and the werewolf tribe is also half-baked up to this point. It serves more as a reminder of things to come, but is ultimately a pointless inclusion in this film, as its given far too much weight from a directorial sense. It's reduced to a red herring basically, causing the viewer to think one threat is imminent when it's scrapped for another, carelessly introduced one (namely the vampire tracker). The bookend quote of the main narrative (something about sacrificing life for someone you love) is also a formally poor choice, as its aimed at causing those who haven't read the book to think she's referring to Edward and not her mother. Wow, such a shocking twist! What started off decently soon turned into a grating experience as it eschewed detail and overtly concerned itself with minutia. What a ridiculously inconsistent movie.

Although I do not have the cinema knowledge to argue your points. I disagree about some of your assessments other than the baseball scene which I agree, was terrible. Actually I think the movie was great until that scene, then it went downhill from there. But I will concede that the movie was not that great with my inability to create a substantial argument against yours. I still enjoyed it though.
I like the different take on the vampires compared to the old and traditional ways. It made it different with its own identity, rather than merely carrying on with the "same old thing".

 

[Paulie]

Although I do not have the cinema knowledge to argue your points. I disagree about some of your assessments other than the baseball scene which I agree, was terrible. Actually I think the movie was great until that scene, then it went downhill from there. But I will concede that the movie was not that great with my inability to create a substantial argument against yours. I still enjoyed it though.
I like the different take on the vampires compared to the old and traditional ways. It made it different with its own identity, rather than merely carrying on with the "same old thing".

It went downhill in the first 10 minutes. For the people that haven't read the book, how are we supposed to know who these students are? And how did they all become friends? Basically we're left with nothing, no background of anybody, and I was pretty upset about the overall plot development.

The writing was terrible, as Line had said before. It was very amateur like and was executed very poorly.

 

[Line]

I disagree about some of your assessments other than the baseball scene which I agree, was terrible.

Such as?

I'm really not looking for a "fight" or to nit-pick your reasons for enjoying it. Frankly, you liking a film I hated doesn't affect me in the slightest, as it's your opinion. I'm just more curious than anything about what you got out of the film. I'll try to post more on the issue of vampire lore in the near future, but I'm going to conclude Millennium Mambo right now.

 

[Braaq]

It went downhill in the first 10 minutes. For the people that haven't read the book, how are we supposed to know who these students are? And how did they all become friends? Basically we're left with nothing, no background of anybody, and I was pretty upset about the overall plot development.

The writing was terrible, as Line had said before. It was very amateur like and was executed very poorly.

Movies never live up to the books, with the exception of LOTR. But even then many can argue the same for that trilogy. They never go into the detail that the books delve into, if they did the movies would be too long.
You can say it was amateur like and executed poorly but the movie was success and the director is laughing his way to the bank with millions while making a sequel.
It goes to show that entertainment is the most important factor to a movie. If it entertains you and draws you in to the characters and the plot then the movie was successful. You can pick apart any movie, which is why film critics being paid for their profession is beyond me. Saying a movie is terrible is a subjective opinion, but someone educated can argue the "cinematic" flaws and camera use if that makes them happy...

 

[tim290280]

^^ It becomes less subjective when you dissect the film and address the various elements. I agree that you can still enjoy a film whilst it is still a steaming pile of crap (e.g. Anchorman was funny, yet I hate that type of film and Will Ferrel - whom I find annoying and untalented).

 

[Line]

It goes to show that entertainment is the most important factor to a movie. If it entertains you and draws you in to the characters and the plot then the movie was successful. You can pick apart any movie, which is why film critics being paid for their profession is beyond me. Saying a movie is terrible is a subjective opinion, but someone educated can argue the "cinematic" flaws and camera use if that makes them happy...

 

[Daniel Andersson]

The perfect storm

 

[brendan]

fool's gold. (2008)
wouldn't recommend it.