Recommend (or don't) a movie thread v2

[Itse]

I really enjoyed Poor Things, but I also think it's absolutely the kind of movie where it's okay to just walk out. It's got an extremely dark sense of humor, and the movie loves to play around with really problematic things.

Just to start with, the "childlike woman who really loves sex" is an extremely problematic cinema trope, and while Poor Things might be the only place where I would genuinely defend that choice, we're still moving in territory which is deliberately trying to make people uncomfortable. It's the kind of movie that if it didn't make anyone uncomfortable, it would be failing at what it's trying to do.

What I liked about Poor Things was that it's a rare movie where I was consistently surprised in the good way, both on a scene by scene basis, and even often on a line by line basis. That doesn't really happen much at this age, after watching so many movies.

It was also at it's best really funny, the performances were great, and the cinematography was a rare example of being really unusual, without ever becoming annoying or a distraction. That's a difficult balancing act.

There were choices I didn't love (the brothel section didn't really work for me, and the ending was a bit meh), but it's still nice to see a movie that was genuinely unique yet entertaining.

Speaking of unique and entertaining, I also watched the 1999 film Ravenous, and... I'm not sure if I'd recommend it, but I really enjoyed it

It's a somewhat comedic horror western about cannibalism. The story is a bit nuts (even if it takes inspiration from real life) but it's mostly played kind of straight. The directing is a bit lacking, it's clear that this wasn't a big budget production even though it has a really solid cast, with Robert Carlyle both stealing the show and saving the movie.

I would recommend it if you want to see a horror movie that's unique, an easy watch (good pacing), and has a whole mountain of sociopolitical subtext you don't have to agree with to enjoy the film. A box office bomb when it was released, a bit of a cult classic now.

[craigwd]

Originally Posted by Nadal Fan

One genre of movie that I Iove is the classic Hollywood epic....I'm talking 3+ hrs, lavish sets, romance, an intermission, beautiful costumes and a historical setting. I've seen movies like Lawrence of Arabia, 10 Commandments, Doctor Zhivago, but one that never seems to get mentioned is the 1971 film Nicholas and Alexandra. I actually first watched this in school and found it only decent (partially because there was a test on it after and that's no way to enjoy cinema). Watching it 20 years later (I'm getting old) , I absolutely loved it. The movie is centered around the last Czar in Russia Nicholas II and his relationship with his family, and particularly his wife that he maybe loved too much, as well as his duty to his country and it's citizens. It also has Rasputin and his insane antics, and the captain from Super Troopers is in it. I'm not sure exactly how historically accurate it is, but as a film it's riveting, and a big recommend from me.

If anyone else has any forgotten Hollywood epics that they think I should check out please give me suggestions.

Probably top 5 movie of all time for me.
The scene where Nicky just breaks down always gets me going.
I believe it's very historically accurate, maybe not down to all of the exact dialogue, plus it's told through the lens of Robert K Massie, who's research was always extensive.

The book is incredible as well.

[woob]

Finally got around to watching Jon Favreau’s Chef. Super entertaining with lots of laugh out loud moments. Definitely a recommend.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by woob

Finally got around to watching Jon Favreau’s Chef. Super entertaining with lots of laugh out loud moments. Definitely a recommend.

I'll second this.

I watched it a long time ago but I remember really enjoying it. Its not a 'masterpiece' or anything but what it is, is a nice, lighthearted but comical film that gets good performances from everyone involved....its kind of like an 'Ocean's 11' and I use that to describe that everyone involved in the film wanted to be there and had fun doing it and that bleeds through the screen.

Its a fun movie and you wont regret it.

Or...you can watch Aquaman 2 and learn to tie a noose out of your own shoelaces.

[Mr.Coffee]

Went to Dune 2 last night. Feel it’s being a bit overrated and was about 45 mins too long. Same as every other movie that comes out these days. Movie theatres look like they’re struggling too these days. Is it too much to clean things and/or have functional bathrooms?

Movie was average, not great, not bad. Literally nodded off at parts, came back, and didn’t miss a beat. Good story though.

[ThisIsAnOutrage]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Went to Dune 2 last night. Feel it’s being a bit overrated and was about 45 mins too long. Same as every other movie that comes out these days. Movie theatres look like they’re struggling too these days. Is it too much to clean things and/or have functional bathrooms?

Movie was average, not great, not bad. Literally nodded off at parts, came back, and didn’t miss a beat. Good story though.

Yep that's about right. But did you notice that the plot of Dune is the same as the plot from the Riddick series?

Also, every time I heard Bene Geserit, all I could think was, "These chicks are supposed to be Italian."

Also sci-fi has a villain problem. They can't all be pasty hairless dudes in leather. I'm looking in your direction, Dune, Dark City, Riddick, Fury Road, Prometheus, Blade 2, amd Star Wars. HM for gender diversity, Thor: Ragnarok.

[photon]

Finally got to see Dune 2 and was pretty happy with it. I don't think it was necessarily too long, though I was starting to get "LOUD BASS DRONE and now EXPLOSIONS!" fatigue a bit. But yeah could have maybe been a bit more efficient.

As a book reader I felt they did Jessia and Stilgar a bit dirty, but I get that you have to make some choices and changes to make a story that fits within the scope.

Not sure where they go from here.. if they planned to make enough to cover the first 4 books I could imagine a way to do it, but they might have to really trim down some stuff.. maybe even combine the 2nd and 3rd books into one movie. Otherwise they may completely lose most of their audience lol.

I was REALLY trying to keep an eye out for some foreshadowing or groundwork for the 3rd and 4th books but didn't really see anything.

Glad it's done well money wise which means more stuff like it might get made.

I find it really hard to give it a rating since it's all in the context of a book series that's probably my favourite of all time and that I've read a dozen times or more.. I find it hard to judge it on its own.. I go back and forth between really liking how they did a certain thing and disliking how so much of the texture and nuance of the universe is missing (but it has to be) or how a character is so flat.

EDIT: I didn't know but I guess the next movie is adaping the 2nd book.

[psyang]

Originally Posted by woob

Finally got around to watching Jon Favreau’s Chef. Super entertaining with lots of laugh out loud moments. Definitely a recommend.

My daughter had an insightful comment about Chef - she said she liked it because it didn't have the typical dramatic fall/crisis before the final redemptive act. It was a pure feel-good movie.

If you liked Chef, check out Jon and Roy Choi's cooking series "The Chef Show". They cook meals together with a collection of special guests (friends of Jon and/or Roy) - very informal and enjoyable.

[undercoverbrother]

Saw Dune 2 on Sunday.

I really enjoyed Dune 1.

I have never read any of the books and turned off the 80's Dune movie cuz it sucked.

I thought Dune 2 was phucking awesome!

It is a BIG movie that comes at you a lot.

Frankly I am glad I didn't read the books or know anything about the universe.

Every movie based on a book is interior to the book. Everyone knows that.

Two small niggles for me:

1-how do they get everyone, including the basket for the High Priestess on the sandworm, riding them looks violent.

2-the animation in the fight seen on Giedi Prime, the crowd animations annoyed me, it had a early 2000's video game feel to me.


That being said I can't wait to watch that film again.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by psyang

My daughter had an insightful comment about Chef - she said she liked it because it didn't have the typical dramatic fall/crisis before the final redemptive act. It was a pure feel-good movie.

If you liked Chef, check out Jon and Roy Choi's cooking series "The Chef Show". They cook meals together with a collection of special guests (friends of Jon and/or Roy) - very informal and enjoyable.

I'd also highly recommend James May's "Oh Cook!"

Its just James May learning to cook as he gets progressively more and more wasted. It is wholesome and hilarious.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by photon

Finally got to see Dune 2 and was pretty happy with it. I don't think it was necessarily too long, though I was starting to get "LOUD BASS DRONE and now EXPLOSIONS!" fatigue a bit. But yeah could have maybe been a bit more efficient.

As a book reader I felt they did Jessia and Stilgar a bit dirty, but I get that you have to make some choices and changes to make a story that fits within the scope.

Not sure where they go from here.. if they planned to make enough to cover the first 4 books I could imagine a way to do it, but they might have to really trim down some stuff.. maybe even combine the 2nd and 3rd books into one movie. Otherwise they may completely lose most of their audience lol.

I was REALLY trying to keep an eye out for some foreshadowing or groundwork for the 3rd and 4th books but didn't really see anything.

Glad it's done well money wise which means more stuff like it might get made.

I find it really hard to give it a rating since it's all in the context of a book series that's probably my favourite of all time and that I've read a dozen times or more.. I find it hard to judge it on its own.. I go back and forth between really liking how they did a certain thing and disliking how so much of the texture and nuance of the universe is missing (but it has to be) or how a character is so flat.

EDIT: I didn't know but I guess the next movie is adaping the 2nd book.

Yeah, I really think they'll adapt Dune Messiah to be the RotJ of Paul story and stop there. At least as far as Denis Dune is concerned.

Book Spoilers

Spoiler!

Obviously it's not the end as Paul's in Children of Dune but I don't see Children or anything after being adapted

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

Yeah, I really think they'll adapt Dune Messiah to be the RotJ of Paul story and stop there. At least as far as Denis Dune is concerned.

Book Spoilers

Spoiler!

Obviously it's not the end as Paul's in Children of Dune but I don't see Children or anything after being adapted

This is probably a good take. They'll likely finish things in a way that's both conclusive but also leaves the door open to a follow up movie or even a trilogy. A good part about Dune is that it takes place over multiple generations and a considerable amount of time. So you can restart the franchise without issues like recasting causing issues.

[photon]

Yeah stopping at Dune Messiah makes more sense the more I think about it. The ending of Dune 2 helps set that up with a twist.

Spoiler!

With Chani's leaving maybe she'll lead the young northern Femen against Paul to help end the war. Does seem to kind of mess things up if they do continue the movies and focus on The Golden Path, how does Chani stopping Paul's war and some kind of Paul redemption arc fit within Paul starting down the Golden Path to save humanity?

[photon]

Also keep thinking about that one shot where the emperor's ship is coming out of space and then flying over Arrakeen was one of the most sci-fi feeling things I've seen probably since Arrival lol.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Start a book readers thread if you want to flesh out that discussion.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Start a book readers thread if you want to flesh out that discussion.

Done!

https://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=195545

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

Done!

https://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=195545

Thats actually probably for the best.

[Nadal Fan]

Poor Things was good, Frankenhooker was better

[Yeah_Baby]

Poor Things is a movie I enjoyed; I like thinking about. But have literally no interest in talking about with anyone with Twitter brain.

[holden]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Two small niggles for me:

1-how do they get everyone, including the basket for the High Priestess on the sandworm, riding them looks violent.

2-the animation in the fight seen on Giedi Prime, the crowd animations annoyed me, it had a early 2000's video game feel to me.


That being said I can't wait to watch that film again.

Denis Villeneuve said somewhere recently as a tongue and cheek response to people asking about the worms 'I know exactly how they work, and no- I will not explain it to you'.


The Giedi Prime sequence is described on a couple podcasts by both the director and the cinematographer. Super interesting take on their planet, and in creating a new technique to depict it:


https://screenrant.com/dune-2-giedi-...is-villeneuve/