Movies

[Stuart Galbraith]

I was amazed to learn that was actually Alan Rickmans first film. He made a career out of playing villians for years on the back of that.

[Yama]

19 hours ago, Ivanhoe said:

Scott's portfolio is marred by his counterfactual wokeness as much as other flaws. KoH was tragic; fantastic visuals, engaging historical background, fouled by the predictable anti-western narrative.

I don't think it was 'woke' or 'anti-western', but anti-religion message was laid down bit too thick even for my tastes. Made worse by all the characters except Saladin and Baldwin being one-dimensional as heck.

Edited December 11, 2024 by Yama

[Stuart Galbraith]

Im given to understand that the extended cut gives quite a lot more to Eva Green's Queen Sybilla. Which is no surprise, because she is a hell of an actress.

Its interesting to note how many of Scotts films end up with extended cuts to put them right.

 

[Soren Ras]

2 hours ago, Stuart Galbraith said:

Im given to understand that the extended cut gives quite a lot more to Eva Green's Queen Sybilla. Which is no surprise, because she is a hell of an actress.

Its interesting to note how many of Scotts films end up with extended cuts to put them right.

 

Kingdom of Heaven extended version is a greatly improved movie. Not a masterpiece, but it does flesh our several of the cardboard characters of the original version, and IMO it has a better, more engaging flow. To me it went from a bad movie with great visuals to a better than average Ridley Scott movie with great visuals.

Black Rain was superb.

 

--

Soren

 

[sunday]

2 hours ago, Yama said:

I don't think it was 'woke' or 'anti-western', but anti-religion message was laid down bit too thick even for my tastes. Made worse by all the characters except Saladin and Baldwin being one-dimensional as heck.

That scene of the queen killing her son after he was diagnosed with leprosy did the movie for me.

[Stuart Galbraith]

15 minutes ago, Soren Ras said:

Kingdom of Heaven extended version is a greatly improved movie. Not a masterpiece, but it does flesh our several of the cardboard characters of the original version, and IMO it has a better, more engaging flow. To me it went from a bad movie with great visuals to a better than average Ridley Scott movie with great visuals.

Black Rain was superb.

 

--

Soren

 

Oh I love Black Rain too, make no bones about it. I found it an interesting counterpoint to Bladerunner. In Bladerunner he is showing the city of the future, and in Black Rain, he is showing its already here, mainly because they too were listening to Syd Mead.  I gather the guy who plays the gangster he is supposed to hand over was a famous Japanese comedian whom was playing against type, and subsequently passed away. He was excellent in it, but then there wasnt a bad performance in that film.

OK, Ill have to see KOH extended then. I always loved the look of the damn thing, the way it was cut was inexcusable.

[Stuart Galbraith]

15 minutes ago, sunday said:

That scene of the queen killing her son after he was diagnosed with leprosy did the movie for me.

Its the counterpoint to Balian's murder of his brother. The point obviously is, there is no Kingdom of Heaven for either of them for what they have done, as its subsequently proved because they both have to leave Jerusalem. Its almost a repeat of Adam and Eve being thrown out of Gods Kingdom.

Ok, hokey it might be, but he is on very similar ground to Ken Russell here in 'The Devils'. At the end of the film, Madelaine walks away from the ruined walls and heads on spikes to the green fields and the blue sky beyond (Through mud, through blood to the Green fields beyond even).

The point is obvious, you can either remain here, wedded to religious dogma, or get away and find your own heaven. You dont have to agree with the sentiment, to find that the point is eloquently made. Rather more so in Ken Russells case, but I can see the echo of it here with what Scott was trying to do also.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Why Where Eagles Dare is a Christmas film.

https://x.com/trevorbaxendale/status/1866809572259779032?t=h76szctVaBwDqrskCGLXag&s=19

So now you can watch it back to back with Die Hard with a clear conscience.

[Yama]

Moana 2 was fine. (Called Vaiana here, apparently due to trademark conflict with some porn star....). Plot was similar to the first, except bigger and better. Opening act was somewhat boring with one or two middling songs, but it then rolled along nicely. Bunch of new side characters, they were okay-ish standard Disney templates, except Matangi who was wicked cool. Also lot of slimy toothy monsters, so this might be bit scarier for little ones than the first. Towards the end there were also couple of good songs. Another sequel was heavily implied.

[Yama]

...and talking about Disney, trailer for 'Live action' Snow White landed, and it looks dreadful 

Those CGI dwarves are nightmare material. Also, the plot appears to be closer to 'Snow White and the Huntsman' than Disney's old Snow White, with SW becoming some kind of leader for the rebellion.

Edited December 14, 2024 by Yama

[Ssnake]

Well, I grew out of singing princesses at about age five.

[Ivanhoe]

Have empathy for parents who will have to endure that swill for months.

I recall a friend who was father to two young girls having to listen to "Frozen" 24/7/365.

 

 

[Yama]

9 hours ago, Ssnake said:

Well, I grew out of singing princesses at about age five.

How unfortunate! But don't worry, it's probable you will rekindle your interest by the time you hit 95 

[Ivanhoe]

3 hours ago, Yama said:

How unfortunate! But don't worry, it's probable you will rekindle your interest by the time you hit 95 

Like this one?

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

Never mind, there is always Miley Cyrus.

[Stuart Galbraith]

I need to see this.  Any movie with Viggens in it has got something going for it.

 

[Yama]

Says it's a miniseries actually? Tone doesn't seem entirely documentarial  Interesting how Cold War is often nowadays portrayed in comedic terms: this year came out Finnish movie The Missile, which portrays cruise missile incident of 1984 in similarly silly overtones. Maybe it's due to film-makers now coming from generation which did not experience it firsthand?

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

Oh, its a miniseries? Excellent. Lets hope it migrates beyond Disney so I might actually see it one day.

I dont know, even at the time people were trying to take the piss out of it. Most memorably 'Dr Strangelove', but there was also 'The Russians are Coming!' But yes, distance does make some things easier, such as 'Death of Stalin.' Unless you are Russian of course...

Yes, I vaguely heard of that one. I didnt see it of course, we dont tend to get anything unless its about scandinavian serial killers.

There was a fairly interesting documentary I was watching about the death of Olaf Palme. There seems to be a drama on Netflix about it as well.

[Yama]

3 hours ago, Stuart Galbraith said:

Oh, its a miniseries? Excellent. Lets hope it migrates beyond Disney so I might actually see it one day.

I dont know, even at the time people were trying to take the piss out of it. Most memorably 'Dr Strangelove', but there was also 'The Russians are Coming!' But yes, distance does make some things easier, such as 'Death of Stalin.' Unless you are Russian of course...

Well yea true, there was plenty of satirization even at the time. And why not, Cold War was certainly silly and stupid thing to have, and in retrospect it seems difficult to remember why it felt so serious and depressing.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Im disappointed they didnt do a follow up to The death of Stalin on the cuban missile crisis. They could have Jason Issacs playing Castro this time, he's tailor made for it.

[Soren Ras]

16 minutes ago, Stefan Fredriksson said:

I am not ready to die on it, but I am ready to sprain my ankle on this hill.

The Spy who loved my is probably the best Bond-movie ever. Yes, the fight-scenes are not exactly Bourne- or Wick-quality, MeToo would probably get a fit watching it, Moore "skiing" or "driving" may look dated. But the set-pieces, Jaws, Moore's charm... It may not be the Bond modern audiences want, but it is the Bond we need.

I saw that in the theaters in Copenhagen when it came out.  At the end of the intro sequence, when Bond's parachute unfolded into the Union Jack, the whole audience applauded. 
I was astounded and delighted (I was busy applauding myself) that you would get such a reaction outside Great Britain. But that's how it was.  

The rest of that movie was simply bloody enjoyable.

Never mind the basic silliness, but it was grand fun in the best way. Easily the best of the Moore films and safely in my top 5 of all Bond films (which includes Lazenby's, two of Connery's and one of Craig's).

[RETAC21]

1 hour ago, Stefan Fredriksson said:

I am not ready to die on it, but I am ready to sprain my ankle on this hill.

The Spy who loved my is probably the best Bond-movie ever. Yes, the fight-scenes are not exactly Bourne- or Wick-quality, MeToo would probably get a fit watching it, Moore "skiing" or "driving" may look dated. But the set-pieces, Jaws, Moore's charm... It may not be the Bond modern audiences want, but it is the Bond we need.

Gotta be joking, Goldfinger beats them all:

James Bond: Who are you?
Pussy Galore: My name is Pussy Galore.
James Bond: I must be dreaming.

 

James Bond: You'll kill 60,000 people uselessly.
Auric Goldfinger: Hah. American motorists kill that many every two years.

[Stuart Galbraith]

1 hour ago, Stefan Fredriksson said:

I am not ready to die on it, but I am ready to sprain my ankle on this hill.

The Spy who loved my is probably the best Bond-movie ever. Yes, the fight-scenes are not exactly Bourne- or Wick-quality, MeToo would probably get a fit watching it, Moore "skiing" or "driving" may look dated. But the set-pieces, Jaws, Moore's charm... It may not be the Bond modern audiences want, but it is the Bond we need.

 

47 minutes ago, Soren Ras said:

I saw that in the theaters in Copenhagen when it came out.  At the end of the intro sequence, when Bond's parachute unfolded into the Union Jack, the whole audience applauded. 
I was astounded and delighted (I was busy applauding myself) that you would get such a reaction outside Great Britain. But that's how it was.  

The rest of that movie was simply bloody enjoyable.

Never mind the basic silliness, but it was grand fun in the best way. Easily the best of the Moore films and safely in my top 5 of all Bond films (which includes Lazenby's, two of Connery's and one of Craig's).

The best? I dont know. One of the best? I think so. I think this one, and For your Eyes Only, get remarkably little admiration, and they have some really great scenes. Particularly like the scene at the pyramids at night.

 

5 minutes ago, RETAC21 said:

Gotta be joking, Goldfinger beats them all:

James Bond: Who are you?
Pussy Galore: My name is Pussy Galore.
James Bond: I must be dreaming.

 

James Bond: You'll kill 60,000 people uselessly.
Auric Goldfinger: Hah. American motorists kill that many every two years.

I think so. Although it still doesnt have what I think is the best scene in any Bond film.

Beat that Jason Bourne.

 

[sunday]

Octopussy had a George MacDonald Fraser, he of Flashman fame, script.

 

[NickM]

4 hours ago, Stefan Fredriksson said:

I am not ready to die on it, but I am ready to sprain my ankle on this hill.

The Spy who loved my is probably the best Bond-movie ever. Yes, the fight-scenes are not exactly Bourne- or Wick-quality, MeToo would probably get a fit watching it, Moore "skiing" or "driving" may look dated. But the set-pieces, Jaws, Moore's charm... It may not be the Bond modern audiences want, but it is the Bond we need.

Don't forget Caroline Munro in a bikini as "Naomi"