Quijote Light Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 44 minutes ago, Zorral said: I watched it last night -- it's good, for lots of reasons, starting with the cast. It's beginning to look like there is A Look of the Fifties Noir that is an HBO Fifties Look, including the lighting of interior scenes. I'm thinking Perry Mason and Lovecraft Country, and now No Sudden Move. It's almost like another generation of interpretation of the films of the 50's made in the 90's, and now a 21st C's reinterpretation of the 90's films. I'm thinkin of L. A. Confidential, or Devil In A Blue Dress, for instance. Though No Sudden Move is Detroit. Agree that it was a good movie. Was it me, or was there something to the look of the film where perspective seemed different with things/people in the background? I’m not explaining it well, but it made me feel like I was watching an older film. eta: The score was amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 48 minutes ago, Quijote Light said: Was it me, or was there something to the look of the film where perspective seemed different with things/people in the background Ya -- a dolly move. I kinda have puzzled over why this choice was made -- maybe to distinguish the overall cinematic look from other semi-like films? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_zoom But, since you asked, I did what I had been planning to do, which was google the effect, coming up with this: (Warning -- this guy resents this decision of Soderberg's (at least for home watching vs theater viewing) and a lot of other elements.) http://www.solzyatthemovies.com/2021/07/01/no-sudden-move-lens-choices-dont-work-well/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quijote Light Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 12 minutes ago, Zorral said: Ya -- a dolly move. I kinda have puzzled over why this choice was made -- maybe to distinguish the overall cinematic look from other semi-like films? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_zoom But, since you asked, I did what I had been planning to do, which was google the effect, coming up with this: (Warning -- this guy resents this decision of Soderberg's (at least for home watching vs theater viewing) and a lot of other elements.) http://www.solzyatthemovies.com/2021/07/01/no-sudden-move-lens-choices-dont-work-well/ Thanks! And wow did I disagree with everything in the article. I didn’t find the story hard to follow, nor was I distracted by the number of characters. And as I mentioned, the shooting techniques used worked really well in my opinion. For me, it very much evoked film from an earlier time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ran Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 It's not so much dolly zooming or movement,. It's the lens choice. Soderbergh used anamorphic wide-angle lenses (probably vintage, period-appropriate lenses) with a lot of barrel distortion. It's how Cinerama films would have looked before they were corrected for projection on flat screens or display on television, but for whatever reason he didn't do the correction. Probably because he liked the effect of the very wide coverage and the way the distortion worked for his compositions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 1 hour ago, Quijote Light said: Thanks! And wow did I disagree with everything in the article. I didn’t find the story hard to follow, nor was I distracted by the number of characters. And as I mentioned, the shooting techniques used worked really well in my opinion. For me, it very much evoked film from an earlier time. 32 minutes ago, Ranivaka said: It's not so much dolly zooming or movement,. It's the lens choice. That's what one notices first, right? Resembling somewhat a fish-eye lens, but things in the foreground are moving against the background. I liked it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhaenysBee Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 Still watching The Bold Type although I think at this point I have given it a more than fair chance so calling it quits now is hardly judging the book by its cover. My brain is getting severely exhausted by this plot and dialogue, but at least it smells potently of soap now. Say the world is a hundred year old wall, with layers of plaster and paint running as thick as 1cm. The show puts a glitter top coat on it and then scratches the sparkly surface 1micrometer deep. And then it’s sooooooo pleased with itself. These characters have no real struggle in their lives. Every time even the chance of potential hardship arises, the plot immediately fixes it for them. Stop it already, please be meaningful in any way possible, because I swear to god the added value compared to a Twitter feed can be concluded in the pop music inserts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DireWolfSpirit Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 Looking forward to seeing No Sudden Move this wknd, is not everything Benicio Del Toro in grand? Also saw last eve The Tomorrow War. With Chris Pratt and Yvonne Strahovsky(sp). She is magnetic, love her in every scene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvinus85 Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 The Tomorrow War was SyFy level crap, with slightly better effects. Yvonne Strahovski and JK Simmons are the only redeeming qualities. A movie with three endings, as each act was extremely clearly defined, short of having interludes that say Act 1, 2, 3. Mediocre generic epic music terribly utilized, dumb plot, and forced humor that fell flat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMC Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 Just randomly rewatched the second season of Penny Dreadful, attributed mostly to the hellish return from visiting my parents (and sister and brother-in-law) in Florida. It was a welcome reminder that I adore this show to its bones. Never before, nor again, am I to see a show that so consistently knows what it wants to do -- and actually resolves it with such resonance. For instance, in the season two finale.. Spoiler Sembene sacrificing himself because he knows Ethan is destined for more. Vanessa rejecting Frankenstein's creature because she knows her fate will be worse than where he's going. I heart Vanessa Ives. @HelenaExMachina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLastWolf Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 Soul Best independence day movie. Not the USA from GB/UK but me from my mom's womb And the eponymous alien will Smith flick for the Fourth of July May the fourth be with all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Chatywin et al. Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 3 hours ago, Corvinus85 said: The Tomorrow War was SyFy level crap, with slightly better effects. Yvonne Strahovski and JK Simmons are the only redeeming qualities. A movie with three endings, as each act was extremely clearly defined, short of having interludes that say Act 1, 2, 3. Mediocre generic epic music terribly utilized, dumb plot, and forced humor that fell flat. Into the breach I go!!!!!!!!!!! ETA: I'm a little under halfway through this movie. It's terrible. And by terrible, I mean watch and laugh your ass off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cas Stark Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 10 hours ago, DMC said: Just randomly rewatched the second season of Penny Dreadful, attributed mostly to the hellish return from visiting my parents (and sister and brother-in-law) in Florida. It was a welcome reminder that I adore this show to its bones. Never before, nor again, am I to see a show that so consistently knows what it wants to do -- and actually resolves it with such resonance. For instance, in the season two finale.. Reveal hidden contents Sembene sacrificing himself because he knows Ethan is destined for more. Vanessa rejecting Frankenstein's creature because she knows her fate will be worse than where he's going. I heart Vanessa Ives. @HelenaExMachina I've lost count how many times I've rewatched this show. I'm still shocked it never really found an audience, considering the caliber of actors, beautiful production values, great music and horror themes. Such a gem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingintheNorth4 Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 I watched the 2021 edition of Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. Joey Chestnut is a literal force of nature. This is his world and we're all just living in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 Could NOT get out of Miami, due to something something something????? not working in NYC regional airports. Hours and hours and hours in a terminal, including having been on the runway, and then turned back to the gate and deplaning again. So I watched a LOT of tv, including a 1990's favorite, The Midnight Garden of Good Evil, with a much younger and even slicker Frank Underwood, er, um, Kevin Spacey. Of course the last time I watched this film, House of Cards hadn't happened. John Cusack, with his constant open mouth - hang jaw, was even more annoying than I remembered. Also watched another episode of Miss Fisher's Murder mysteries, and the truly preposterous Dynasty of Warriors, from a computer game set in Legendary Age of Heroes of the Three Kingdoms circa 200 A.D. -- which was quite unkind to horses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nictarion Posted July 5, 2021 Share Posted July 5, 2021 I liked No Sudden Move a lot (despite the look being a little distracting at times). I’m happy to see more of Julia Fox after Uncut Gems. I didn’t even recognize Brendan Fraser at all until my wife pointed out that’s who it was. He’s certainly put on a few… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veltigar Posted July 5, 2021 Author Share Posted July 5, 2021 I watched America: The Motion Picture on Saturday. What a waste of time. Fortunately the country that it is based on is better than this dreck, which is saying a lot about the abysmal quality of this film given everything that has happened over the last couple of years. I'll never understand why these films think swearing can replace clever jokes and a good script. Also watched the latest episode of Loki which was good. I liked it a lot and am curious about the next episode (Hold up, wait!). The best thing I saw this weekend was Into the Heights however (and at a Drive in no less, love that 4th of July feel). It's definitely not on the same level as Hamilton, which is just transcendent, but this film definitely works. It's the kind of musical La La Land wishes it could be. The characters are lovely, I like the actors, there are some great sequences in there (in a swimming pool and on some buildings), the sound track as a whole is enjoyable and I really like how the story of this community has become the inspiration for a major motion picture. If anyone ever struggles with the question why more representation is a good thing for everyone, Lin-Manuel's career is becoming an interesting exemplar of diversity's benefits. What keeps it at a level below Hamilton (like a 4/5 instead of the 5/5 perfect score) are mainly three things: While the sound track is excellent as a whole, it has fewer ear worms than Hamilton, which has so many songs that even when taken out of context are enjoyable. The framing device Spoiler has Usnavy telling a story to a bunch of kids on a tropical island throughout the film and then in the end they reveal he was in his Bodega all along. It's a pretty cliche reveal for a film like this, but it felt manipulative because all the earlier framing device scenes where clearly shot on an actual beach. I remember saying to a friend about 3/4 of the way into the film that it was really weird that they hadn't revealed that he stayed in the States and I was actually excited about the prospect of a good character actually leaving the States to pursue his dream elsewhere. I don't think I have ever seen that in a film with a non-criminal lead (there are plenty of crooks fleeing into Mexico, but an honest citizen leaving the States and being able to pursue a dream outside of the US is almost unheard off). Usually, these films turn around and everyone realizes that the American dream is possible for them as well. This film embraced that cliche as well and that's not bad, but they should have been more open about it. The faith of certain characters Spoiler By the end of the film, it is clear that this film forgot about Dre. Both Nina and he disappear from the film and we are not informed whether she succeeded at Stanford and what career she's pursuing to help disadvantaged Dreamer kids. I didn't like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spockydog Posted July 5, 2021 Share Posted July 5, 2021 On 7/4/2021 at 3:05 AM, Corvinus85 said: The Tomorrow War was SyFy level crap, with slightly better effects. Yvonne Strahovski and JK Simmons are the only redeeming qualities. A movie with three endings, as each act was extremely clearly defined, short of having interludes that say Act 1, 2, 3. Mediocre generic epic music terribly utilized, dumb plot, and forced humor that fell flat. I actually enjoyed this. Spent the first fifteen minutes bouncing off the terrible script and questionable premise, but once I decided to go with it, it became quite an enjoyable experience. The action was first rate, and the monsters pretty cool. Chris Pratt was not having the script though. Dude was just dialling it in throughout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted July 5, 2021 Share Posted July 5, 2021 12 hours ago, Veltigar said: The best thing I saw this weekend was Into the Heights however However, there is that great big elephant on the screen -- or rather not on the screen. That in a neighborhood of mostly quite dark African Dominicans, almost everybody has very very very light skin. Been a great big stumble block among the audience it was supposed to honor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadlines? What Deadlines? Posted July 5, 2021 Share Posted July 5, 2021 On 7/3/2021 at 11:11 AM, Zorral said: I watched it last night -- it's good, for lots of reasons, starting with the cast. It's beginning to look like there is A Look of the Fifties Noir that is an HBO Fifties Look, including the lighting of interior scenes. I'm thinking Perry Mason and Lovecraft Country, and now No Sudden Move. It's almost like another generation of interpretation of the films of the 50's made in the 90's, and now a 21st C's reinterpretation of the 90's films. I'm thinkin of L. A. Confidential, or Devil In A Blue Dress, for instance. Though No Sudden Move is Detroit. No Sudden Move was pretty good, but of the stuff you've mentioned (that I have seen) it's probably my least favorite. Like Mank, I thought it was good but it felt like it needed to be a bit more focused. At least one of the romantic sub plots seemed unnecessary to me. I'm ashamed to say I have not seen Lovecraft Country yet, but it's on my list. I'm confused at the cancellation, given the praise its received. Maybe Netflix can pick it up... On 7/3/2021 at 12:38 PM, Zorral said: Ya -- a dolly move. I kinda have puzzled over why this choice was made -- maybe to distinguish the overall cinematic look from other semi-like films? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_zoom But, since you asked, I did what I had been planning to do, which was google the effect, coming up with this: (Warning -- this guy resents this decision of Soderberg's (at least for home watching vs theater viewing) and a lot of other elements.) http://www.solzyatthemovies.com/2021/07/01/no-sudden-move-lens-choices-dont-work-well/ Very pretentious title for a movie review. The cinematography was good and i didn't mind the distortion effects. It gave the film a kind of dreamy quality. Did any one else have trouble hearing the dialogue? Maybe it's just me, but between Don Cheadle's grumbling and the score I was having trouble. I was on the fence about Tomorrow War but given what I've heard here I think I'll give it a pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvinus85 Posted July 5, 2021 Share Posted July 5, 2021 10 hours ago, Spockydog said: I actually enjoyed this. Spent the first fifteen minutes bouncing off the terrible script and questionable premise, but once I decided to go with it, it became quite an enjoyable experience. The action was first rate, and the monsters pretty cool. Chris Pratt was not having the script though. Dude was just dialling it in throughout. The video mainly just covers the plot points. On top of that, the bad acting, like you said Pratt phoning it in, the bad music, the weirdly paced acts of the story, and there were plenty of special effects that were mediocre. A blend of Starship Troopers, Edge of Tomorrow, and Alien without any of the good stuff from those movies. The aliens only improved for me thanks to the twist revealed at the end, up until then I was annoyed by having another set of monstrous aliens that only use their physicality to kill and spread like a plague. It's the only type of alien that invades Earth in recent years, it seems. And even the twist was a bit of a rip off from Spoiler Alien - the crashed Promethean ship with the xenomorph eggs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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