This Watch, Watched, and Watching Thread? I like it. ANOTHER

[Jack Bauer 24]

Has anyone seen Natalie Dormer's The Forest?

[Veltigar]

Has anyone seen Natalie Dormer's The Forest?

Not seen it yet, but it's getting trashed by reviewers. Pretty unanimously even. I think there is just something about that suicide forest that is impossible to capture on film. That forrest even ended the McConnaissance hot streak, so that's a pretty powerful curse  

EDIT: Although to be fair, reviews are negative but pretty much every review I read said that it was better than the usual trashy horrorfilms released in January

[Theda Baratheon]

watching romy and michelle's high school reunion for the 5th or 6th time i absolutely love this movie it's so heartwarming and silly 

[Knight of Ashes]

A bit awkward watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer's "Hush" in this age of texting but it's still claustrophobically great.

[Veltigar]

I watched Anomalisa yesterday. I already wrote a bunch about it in the best-films-of-2015 thread, so I'm all out of ink for that one. It's an interesting flick. I didn't enjoy myself while I was watching it, but it certainly made me think. So, I have a hard time given a value judgement about it. I think it's worth checking out, but prepare yourself to think very deeply about it, that's all I'm saying. 

[Maia]

Watched "Inside Llewyn Davies" by the Coens and was somewhat disappointed, as I have loved or liked  all the Coen brothers films that I have seen until now. But this one is downright boring in stretches despite Isaacs' excellent acting. I just dunno, maybe one has to be familiar with the history of US country music to really enjoy it?  Oh, and:

Was it all a dream? Everything between the cat's escape and the repeat of his act and subsequent beating in the end?

 

And also seen "The Scanner Darkly" by Linklater. That was... interesting. It was shot live and then reworked to look like an animated film with comics-style graphics. Dick was really prescient, it seems. Still, a bit navel-gazy and slow in places, I am afraid, but there is something there. Good cast, too.  

TV-wise, I am currently making my way through "Star Wars : The Clone Wars" cartoon series, which has it's ups and downs, but on the whole is surprisingly decent. Particularly compared to the prequels, heh.

 

[Jack Bauer 24]

What's better...Borgias or Tudors? Thinking of starting one.

[SpaceChampion]

Mad Max: Fury Road was a hell of a lot of fun to watch.

Since the Fury Road thread is closed, I'll comment here about the report Miller isn't going to do any more Mad Max movies.  I think his quote was taken out of context.  I think he was referring to shooting in Australia, for which he waited years and years to film Fury Road due to the amount of rain they've been getting, with the desert blooming with flowers every year lately.  So he eventually gave up and filmed Fury Road in Africa instead (Namibia, i think?) and what he meant is he is done with Australia, not Mad Max.  Hopefully.

[Knight of Ashes]

Since the Fury Road thread is closed, I'll comment here about the report Miller isn't going to do any more Mad Max movies.  I think his quote was taken out of context.  I think he was referring to shooting in Australia, for which he waited years and years to film Fury Road due to the amount of rain they've been getting, with the desert blooming with flowers every year lately.  So he eventually gave up and filmed Fury Road in Africa instead (Namibia, i think?) and what he meant is he is done with Australia, not Mad Max.  Hopefully.

Australia or not, I amused myself by imagining Immortan Joe as the Bruce Wayne from Dark Knight Returns finally gone completely whacked and the War Boys as the sons of the Sons of Batman.

[Veltigar]

What's better...Borgias or Tudors? Thinking of starting one.

Depends on what you're looking for Tudors has prettier girls, but The Borgias (you're talking about the one with Jeremy Irons right?) is overall better and takes a look at a much more interesting time and place imo. They are both not very good mind you, but The Borgias is better It has Jeremy Irons after all.

EDIT: Also, The Tudors was written by Michael Hirst. So think of The Tudors as Vikings season three without the Vikings in it

Since the Fury Road thread is closed, I'll comment here about the report Miller isn't going to do any more Mad Max movies.  I think his quote was taken out of context.  I think he was referring to shooting in Australia, for which he waited years and years to film Fury Road due to the amount of rain they've been getting, with the desert blooming with flowers every year lately.  So he eventually gave up and filmed Fury Road in Africa instead (Namibia, i think?) and what he meant is he is done with Australia, not Mad Max.  Hopefully.

I really hope you're right

 

Watched "Inside Llewyn Davies" by the Coens and was somewhat disappointed, as I have loved or liked  all the Coen brothers films that I have seen until now. But this one is downright boring in stretches despite Isaacs' excellent acting. I just dunno, maybe one has to be familiar with the history of US country music to really enjoy it?  Oh, and:

My favourite Coen film I have seen so far  

 

[Red Tiger]

One month from now Jack Bauer will come in telling us Reign is better than Tudors and Borgias combined.

I kid, I kid.

[Veltigar]

So apparantly Alan Rickman has died... What a fucking shitty week this is turning out to be 

[Red Tiger]

So apparantly Alan Rickman has died... What a fucking shitty week this is turning out to be 

Yeah I just heard, another death by cancer, fuck this year so far.

[Veltigar]

Just finished the first episode of Narcos. Please tell me that lame DEA agent gets killed soon? I swear this first episode felt like someone took some of Marco Polo's failures (way to boring and fucking unnecessary white guy hogging the limelight while non-white characters are so much more interesting) and mixed them with some of Outlander's failures (excessive voice-over). I hope it gets better, because the guy playing Escobar is really good.

Yeah I just heard, another death by cancer, fuck this year so far.

[Jack Bauer 24]

Just finished the first episode of Narcos. Please tell me that lame DEA agent gets killed soon? I swear this first episode felt like someone took some of Marco Polo's failures (way to boring and fucking unnecessary white guy hogging the limelight while non-white characters are so much more interesting) and mixed them with some of Outlander's failures (excessive voice-over). I hope it gets better, because the guy playing Escobar is really good.

The voice overs actually get worse and are intrusive throughout.

[Grand Moff Mithrandir]

Bloody hell! I've tried but I just can't get through this borefest that is Trainwreck. I'm sorry but this movie is just terrible.

[Howdyphillip]

Bloody hell! I've tried but I just can't get through this borefest that is Trainwreck. I'm sorry but this movie is just terrible.

That is strange. I have seen the movie twice now, and it is extremely rare for me to do with a comedy. I enjoyed it both times I saw it. It was heavy on the formula, but it did just enough to subvert it that I found it interesting. 

[Astromech]

Tropic Thunder was on HBO last night so I had to watch it.  "I'm the dude, playin the dude, disguised as another dude."

 

 

[Veltigar]

I went to see Carol today. I wasn't completely blown away by it, but it's definitely a very, very good motion picture. The first thing that just can't be denied is that it's an absolutely gorgeous film, I'd say the prettiest I have seen so far released in the last year if it weren't for The Assassin (although they differ but a hair in visual quality). All those losers on instagram with their filters, well Carol is what they try to do and miserably fail at. The music was dazzling as well. The best original score after The Hateful Eight. 

All the rest was great too of course. Blanchett and Mara seemlessly became a part of this absolutely lush 1950s setting. They looked like they belonged there. Normally, costume dramas like this can feel a bit ridiculous because everything is so pretty. Carol avoids that pittfall with brio, just by being so damn elegant. The dresses, the decors, the hairstyles it's all so stylish. It looks like a dream pretty much or no better, a beautiful memory. That's probably the best way to describe it.

I also really liked the story. Carol didn't need to force a villain in there. Everyone seemed perfectly human and pretty understanding. Like, you could get where a lot of the characters came from and how they were trying to be the best person they could be, given the circumstances of their class, gender and other factors. The film's also definitely in the running for best ending of the year (an ending which I thought was

very romantic

). The film stopped at exactly the right moment. A minute less or more and it wouldn't have been as great as it is.

I think, what knocks it down from a 5/5 to a 4/5 is the level of detachment. Sometimes, particularly during the first two acts I wanted to feel just a tiny bit more emotion or just more drawn in by it. The film does creep up on you and the ending was great, because it had everything else that was good about Carol + I was drawn in by the emotion of the film. If they could have given me that for the entire runtime, this would be a bona fide classic (and then I'm speaking more along Citizen Kane levels, because it's undoubtedly a great film already).

It's definitely worth seeing in the theatre imo. 

[Mladen]

I went to see Carol today. I wasn't completely blown away by it, but it's definitely a very, very good motion picture. The first thing that just can't be denied is that it's an absolutely gorgeous film, I'd say the prettiest I have seen so far released in the last year if it weren't for The Assassin (although they differ but a hair in visual quality). All those losers on instagram with their filters, well Carol is what they try to do and miserably fail at. The music was dazzling as well. The best original score after The Hateful Eight. 

The greatest beauty of Carol is its artistry. It can be a bit detached, unattainable and look a bit pompous but I thought the story is attacking every single sense of my brain. It was a synergy of so many beautiful elements that worked perfectly to tell the story. Speaking in Tolkien's words, this movie is like an Elf from Sam's perspective. And I have no doubts that in twenty year, we will look at it and just mourn today's Academy's nearsightedness.

All the rest was great too of course. Blanchett and Mara seemlessly became a part of this absolutely lush 1950s setting. They looked like they belonged there. Normally, costume dramas like this can feel a bit ridiculous because everything is so pretty. Carol avoids that pittfall with brio, just by being so damn elegant. The dresses, the decors, the hairstyles it's all so stylish. It looks like a dream pretty much or no better, a beautiful memory. That's probably the best way to describe it.

I think that casting was incredibly done. Mara can emulate Audrey Hepburn style and Blanchett is epitome of old Hollywood glam. I especially loved how Blanchett played with camera and how the movie focuses on different angles, making you see her through Therese's POV. And as she falls for her, so does the viewer. And how that shifts from the object of desire to humanization of a character is astounding. I can't say how much I adore how Naggy adapted this and gave Carol an extra layer which is missing in the book.I also really liked the story. Carol didn't need to force a villain in there.

I also really liked the story. Carol didn't need to force a villain in there. Everyone seemed perfectly human and pretty understanding. Like, you could get where a lot of the characters came from and how they were trying to be the best person they could be, given the circumstances of their class, gender and other factors. The film's also definitely in the running for best ending of the year (an ending which I thought was...

 

I also really liked the story. Carol didn't need to force a villain in there. Everyone seemed perfectly human and pretty understanding. Like, you could get where a lot of the characters came from and how they were trying to be the best person they could be, given the circumstances of their class, gender and other factors. The film's also definitely in the running for best ending of the year (an ending which I thought was

 As Blanchett said in an interview, the time is the enemy here. And that makes all the other villains obsolete.

 

I think, what knocks it down from a 5/5 to a 4/5 is the level of detachment. Sometimes, particularly during the first two acts I wanted to feel just a tiny bit more emotion or just more drawn in by it. The film does creep up on you and the ending was great, because it had everything else that was good about Carol + I was drawn in by the emotion of the film. If they could have given me that for the entire runtime, this would be a bona fide classic (and then I'm speaking more along Citizen Kane levels, because it's undoubtedly a great film already).

The movie can be intellectual at moments, a bit too much, and that is where the sense of detachment comes from, but I would agree that if Haynes managed to maintain the level of emotional investment of the viewer throughout the film, not just in the last act, he would have made an undeniable classic. This way, as you said, it is just a great movie...