love

Author Topic: Write about the last movie you watched (2006-2010)  (Read 5996936 times)

Bill Thompson

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 17561
  • DOOM!!!!
    • Bill's Movie Emporium
Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #20520 on: October 05, 2009, 10:57:58 AM »
The Shining (1980) ****
http://billsmovieemporium.wordpress.com/2009/10/05/review-the-shining-1980/

Horror month continues at my blog with this wonderful picture from Stanley Kubrick. I have no doubt that outside of Skjerva not a single person will agree with my interpretation of female awakening, but I'm cool with that. :) This is a master work, and I know that's redundant when talking about Kubrick, but this is possibly his best work, but I'm wishy-washy on declaring an actual best as far as he is concerned. I was surprised to read so many knocks against the acting in The Shining, especially Jack's supposed over acting. I thought he reigned it in completely and played a man who goes from subtle crazy to full blown crazy when the situation allows. Either way, a great movie.
« Last Edit: October 05, 2009, 11:08:25 AM by Newman!!! »

FroHam X

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 17792
  • “By any seeds necessary.”
    • justAtad
Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #20521 on: October 05, 2009, 11:05:32 AM »
The Shining (1980) ****
http://billsmovieemporium.wordpress.com/2009/10/05/review-the-shining-1980/

Horror month continues at my blog with this wonderful picture from Stanley Kubrick. I have no doubt that outside of Skjerva not a single person will agree with my interpretation of female awakening, but I'm cool with that. :) This is a master work, and I know that's redundant when talking about Kubrick, but this is possibly his best work, but I'm wishy-washy on declaring an actual bets as far as he is concerned. I was surprised to read so many knocks against the acting in The Shining, especially Jack's supposed over acting. I thought he reigned it in completely and played a man who goes from subtle crazy to full blown crazy when the situation allows. Either way, a great movie.

I think it's his best film.
"We didn't clean the hamster's cage, the hamster's cage cleaned us!"

Can't get enough FroHam? Read more of my musings at justAtad

oneaprilday

  • FAB
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 13746
  • "What we see and what we seem are but a dream."
    • A Journal of Film
Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #20522 on: October 05, 2009, 11:27:02 AM »
Reservoir Dogs
First viewing (Gasp!). After all this time and all the talk, I wasn't exactly coming to it with a clean, unbiased perspective. Even though I had expected the violence, it was still a bit hard to take, and even though I had expected the pop culture dialogue, there was still a bit too much of it for my taste. I was surprised by how many flashback scenes there were, but I thought they didn't detract from the tightness of the script too much, but rather fleshed out the characters nicely. And the characters and performances were the strongest aspect of the film for me, especially Keitel and Roth. Overall, maybe a 7/10 for me, and I'm not sure if I'd prefer it to Goodfellas or not.

I just watched this for the first time, too, last week. Figured I'd better work my way through those of Tarantino's films I hadn't seen so that I can have an informed opinion - I have to watch only Death Proof and Inglorious Basterds still, but I have a hard time imagining that those last two films will change my feelings up 'til now -"Tarantino's films just don't appeal to me" - but I'm still going in open-minded.

As for Reservoir Dogs, sounds like I had a similar experience, Emiliana, though I may perhaps have known less about it than you did and I think I maybe enjoyed it less than you did. I knew beforehand that there was an "ear scene," but that's about it - I didn't really even know the basic premise of the film; I avoided, until now, reading the RD write-ups in the 90's brackets. While I can appreciate the structure, the soundtrack, the camera work, the editing, the performances (except Tarantino's - wow, that was painful) - while, in short, I can appreciate Tarantino's talent, ultimately, I just did not have a fun experience with Reservoir Dogs. About halfway through the film, right around the ear scene, I thought to myself, "Am I supposed to be enjoying this?" I think the only moment of catharsis I felt was right after the ear scene - you know, when Mr. Orange shoots Mr. Blonde - but then I was sort of immediately irritated because I was made to enjoy and so desire that bit of violence. And maybe I am supposed to fall down and worship Tarantino for his skill in manipulating my feelings in that way, but honestly, it just pissed me off. Like you, Em, the violence overall was just hard for me to take - I guess I just can't really enjoy a film if the violence has no larger purpose that I can see. All I can feel is a kind of gleeful sadism behind it - I may be totally misreading it, but that's how it felt. Also, what smirnoff said and what roujin said (being quoted by smirnoff) here in the 90's Brackets resonates with how I continue to feel after I watch Tarantino's films: "while Tarantino is busy getting his jollies, I'm stuck trying to reconcile what's just throwaway amusement, and the rest of the film! . . . Maybe I never was supposed to do any more than enjoy a Tarantino film for the neverending string of cool, just like I was never supposed to actually care about the story in a porno. Watch it, have fun, that's it. There are times when I'm happy to have fun right along with his films, but there's a lot of time when I'm looking for more and it's not there." As smirnoff said, there are times I do just have fun with what Tarantino's doing, but overall, his content just feels very thin to me. Maybe as I continue to enjoy the craft of and history of filmmaking more and more, as I have been doing over the couple of years I've been listening to Filmspotting and as I've been learning so much from all of you,  I'll come to appreciate Tarantino more than I do now. I truly hope that's the case. For now, it's a mostly unrewarding slog.

mañana

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 20862
  • Check your public library
Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #20523 on: October 05, 2009, 12:05:59 PM »
My gf was furious with me when I put on RD one night. After the diner scene and parking lot strut, it cuts to Mr Orange in the car screaming in pain. She looked at me and said "why the hell would I want to watch this?", and she stormed out of the room. I think like you OAD, she would have appreciated the storytelling, but she is just not interested in seeing those kind of images.
There's no deceit in the cauliflower.

Sam the Cinema Snob

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 26795
Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #20524 on: October 05, 2009, 12:07:38 PM »
The Shining (1980) ****
http://billsmovieemporium.wordpress.com/2009/10/05/review-the-shining-1980/

Horror month continues at my blog with this wonderful picture from Stanley Kubrick. I have no doubt that outside of Skjerva not a single person will agree with my interpretation of female awakening, but I'm cool with that. :) This is a master work, and I know that's redundant when talking about Kubrick, but this is possibly his best work, but I'm wishy-washy on declaring an actual bets as far as he is concerned. I was surprised to read so many knocks against the acting in The Shining, especially Jack's supposed over acting. I thought he reigned it in completely and played a man who goes from subtle crazy to full blown crazy when the situation allows. Either way, a great movie.

I think it's his best film.
What about that dreamcicle clock?

oneaprilday

  • FAB
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 13746
  • "What we see and what we seem are but a dream."
    • A Journal of Film
Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #20525 on: October 05, 2009, 12:22:25 PM »
My gf was furious with me when I put on RD one night. After the diner scene and parking lot strut, it cuts to Mr Orange in the car screaming in pain. She looked at me and said "why the hell would I want to watch this?", and she stormed out of the room. I think like you OAD, she would have appreciated the storytelling, but she is just not interested in seeing those kind of images.

Good to hear I'm not alone!

smirnoff

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 26251
    • smirnoff's Top 100
Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #20526 on: October 05, 2009, 01:09:40 PM »
while, in short, I can appreciate Tarantino's talent, ultimately, I just did not have a fun experience with Reservoir Dogs. About halfway through the film, right around the ear scene, I thought to myself, "Am I supposed to be enjoying this?" I think the only moment of catharsis I felt was right after the ear scene - you know, when Mr. Orange shoots Mr. Blonde - but then I was sort of immediately irritated because I was made to enjoy and so desire that bit of violence. And maybe I am supposed to fall down and worship Tarantino for his skill in manipulating my feelings in that way, but honestly, it just pissed me off.
I was nodding a lot reading this OAD.

I'm just not sure what RD has to offer a viewer nowadays. It's true that even cinephiles who aren't fans of the film are willing to acknowledge it as a technical achievement (as you did), and seen in it's prime it may have risen above the standards of the day, but the fact is, time marches on. It's nearly 20 years since release and the bar has risen ever higher.

The cinephile in me (14.153%) appreciates what it was, but the movie watcher in me (85.847%) says it belongs in a dusty cabinet with mom's fine china.

Some films just expire sooner than others. RD is a banana, some films are potatoes.
« Last Edit: October 05, 2009, 01:13:45 PM by smirnoff »

FroHam X

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 17792
  • “By any seeds necessary.”
    • justAtad
Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #20527 on: October 05, 2009, 01:30:55 PM »
while, in short, I can appreciate Tarantino's talent, ultimately, I just did not have a fun experience with Reservoir Dogs. About halfway through the film, right around the ear scene, I thought to myself, "Am I supposed to be enjoying this?" I think the only moment of catharsis I felt was right after the ear scene - you know, when Mr. Orange shoots Mr. Blonde - but then I was sort of immediately irritated because I was made to enjoy and so desire that bit of violence. And maybe I am supposed to fall down and worship Tarantino for his skill in manipulating my feelings in that way, but honestly, it just pissed me off.
I was nodding a lot reading this OAD.

I'm just not sure what RD has to offer a viewer nowadays. It's true that even cinephiles who aren't fans of the film are willing to acknowledge it as a technical achievement (as you did), and seen in it's prime it may have risen above the standards of the day, but the fact is, time marches on. It's nearly 20 years since release and the bar has risen ever higher.

The cinephile in me (14.153%) appreciates what it was, but the movie watcher in me (85.847%) says it belongs in a dusty cabinet with mom's fine china.

Some films just expire sooner than others. RD is a banana, some films are potatoes.

The movie watcher in me simply enjoys the hell out of RD. It's a fun film with some brilliant character work and a well executed storyline. What more could I want? I like the violence too.
"We didn't clean the hamster's cage, the hamster's cage cleaned us!"

Can't get enough FroHam? Read more of my musings at justAtad

smirnoff

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 26251
    • smirnoff's Top 100
Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #20528 on: October 05, 2009, 01:48:05 PM »
I'm just not sure what RD has to offer a viewer nowadays. It's true that even cinephiles who aren't fans of the film are willing to acknowledge it as a technical achievement (as you did), and seen in it's prime it may have risen above the standards of the day, but the fact is, time marches on. It's nearly 20 years since release and the bar has risen ever higher.

The cinephile in me (14.153%) appreciates what it was, but the movie watcher in me (85.847%) says it belongs in a dusty cabinet with mom's fine china.

Some films just expire sooner than others. RD is a banana, some films are potatoes.

The movie watcher in me simply enjoys the hell out of RD. It's a fun film with some brilliant character work and a well executed storyline. What more could I want? I like the violence too.
Tastes are tastes, and we may have watched the film under different circumstances. I've never hated it, but it's to the point where I don't feel like another viewing is worth my time. After 3 or 4 runs through, it's no longer potent enough to bother with (in my experience).

oneaprilday

  • FAB
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 13746
  • "What we see and what we seem are but a dream."
    • A Journal of Film
Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #20529 on: October 05, 2009, 02:12:34 PM »
while, in short, I can appreciate Tarantino's talent, ultimately, I just did not have a fun experience with Reservoir Dogs. About halfway through the film, right around the ear scene, I thought to myself, "Am I supposed to be enjoying this?" I think the only moment of catharsis I felt was right after the ear scene - you know, when Mr. Orange shoots Mr. Blonde - but then I was sort of immediately irritated because I was made to enjoy and so desire that bit of violence. And maybe I am supposed to fall down and worship Tarantino for his skill in manipulating my feelings in that way, but honestly, it just pissed me off.
I was nodding a lot reading this OAD.
So good to hear.  :)  I have to admit I'm usually pretty reluctant to discuss my ambivalence about Tarantino around here since most Filmspotters seem to admire and love his films so much.

I'm just not sure what RD has to offer a viewer nowadays. It's true that even cinephiles who aren't fans of the film are willing to acknowledge it as a technical achievement (as you did), and seen in it's prime it may have risen above the standards of the day, but the fact is, time marches on. It's nearly 20 years since release and the bar has risen ever higher.
I've wondered about this. I mean, will film students still study and admire RD 30, 40 years from now? Is it and will it remain one of those landmark films that film lovers immediately recognize? Adam or Matty made some comment in their review of IB about it being a film that people will still study years from now. I wonder if they'd say the same thing about RD? Do people say that about it?

The cinephile in me (14.153%) appreciates what it was, but the movie watcher in me (85.847%) says it belongs in a dusty cabinet with mom's fine china.

Some films just expire sooner than others. RD is a banana, some films are potatoes.
:D  You definitely have a way with words, smirnoff. And those percentages = awesome.

 

love