Poll

What HAVEN'T you seen?

22 Jump Street
23 (2.6%)
The Babadook
27 (3.1%)
Big Hero 6
24 (2.7%)
Bird People
34 (3.9%)
Birdman
8 (0.9%)
Blue Ruin
16 (1.8%)
Boyhood
7 (0.8%)
Calvary
15 (1.7%)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
13 (1.5%)
Citizenfour
28 (3.2%)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
15 (1.7%)
Edge of Tomorrow
12 (1.4%)
Force Majeure
21 (2.4%)
Frank
17 (1.9%)
Godzilla
10 (1.1%)
Gone Girl
5 (0.6%)
Goodbye to Language 3D
34 (3.9%)
The Grand Budapest Hotel
5 (0.6%)
Guardians of the Galaxy
7 (0.8%)
How to Train Your Dragon 2
20 (2.3%)
Ida
17 (1.9%)
The Immigrant
22 (2.5%)
Inherent Vice
17 (1.9%)
Interstellar
16 (1.8%)
Jodorowsky's Dune
31 (3.5%)
John Wick
24 (2.7%)
The Lego Movie
9 (1%)
Life Itself
19 (2.2%)
Like Father, Like Son
35 (4%)
Locke
17 (1.9%)
The Missing Picture
30 (3.4%)
National Gallery
37 (4.2%)
Night Moves
28 (3.2%)
Nightcrawler
11 (1.2%)
Obvious Child
27 (3.1%)
The One I Love
20 (2.3%)
Only Lovers Left Alive
17 (1.9%)
The Raid 2
21 (2.4%)
Snowpiercer
10 (1.1%)
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
25 (2.8%)
Two Days, One Night
24 (2.7%)
Under the Skin
9 (1%)
We Are the Best!
28 (3.2%)
Whiplash
13 (1.5%)
The Wind Rises
20 (2.3%)
X-Men Days of Future Past
12 (1.4%)
[I've seen them all!]
3 (0.3%)

Total Members Voted: 47

Author Topic: Filmspots 2014: Nominated Films Checklist  (Read 24507 times)

MartinTeller

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Re: Filmspots 2014: Nominated Films Checklist
« Reply #190 on: March 09, 2015, 02:22:46 PM »
I just want to amend my remarks and make it clear: I'm really glad I went though that period of intense exploration.  I added so many great films to my list of favorites.  I'm not saying I like the way I'm doing it now better than the way I did it when I was younger, or the way anyone else is doing it.  This isn't an "older and wiser" thing.  Evolution is often misunderstood as the process of becoming "better".  It isn't.  It's the process of becoming better suited to one's environment.  The way I watch and approach movies now is better suited to my life as it is now.  The way I watched and approached movies two, five, ten years ago was better suited to my life as it was then.


Yes that's well put.

Thank you!

Wow! Martin, your post was a Hallmark card for my soul right now. I've felt the shift strongly in recent weeks away from my numerous Watchlists and sort-of Marathon projects. I've been wondering if it was time to start planning my exit, because you know, I just feel like I'm overstaying my welcome and over-exposing myself with repeated comments every time somebody watches a movie.

The world outside my viewing screen is starting to appeal to me more than potential film discoveries. I know that movies will always be a part of my life, I just see it becoming a smaller part. By that same notion, the Boards are also becoming a smaller part of my life, though I don't see a reason to completely abandon them. I will probably still have binge days, just not EVERY day.

That was one well-timed post.

Yeah don't go planning any exits, please.  You post a LOT and it would be tough to keep up that pace.  But don't go away entirely, you'd be missed.

Interesting that you responded this way, I was going to mention you as a counterexample, someone around my age who still has that insatiable appetite for new discoveries.  Perhaps I haven't paid close enough attention but I hadn't noticed any slowing down.


I do find as my free time diminishes I need to make better use of my time so I ask myself one simple question when starting a film, "am I enthusiastic to watch this?" If the answer is no, it is probably a sign I should find something else to watch where the answer is yes or do something else with my time (either something enthusiastic or something responsible that I actually need to get done).

The upside, is if I hold to this, I'm likely to be watching movies in a better frame of mind than "I guess I have to watch this, ugh."

I very much relate to this.  A common occurrence now is that I'll get a movie from the library or wherever and just decide not to bother with it without even starting it.  This probably sounds sad to a lot of people.  It sounds sad to younger me, I'm sure.

Junior

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Re: Filmspots 2014: Nominated Films Checklist
« Reply #191 on: March 09, 2015, 02:55:48 PM »
I do get that movies, or I guess interest in movies is a thing that can wax and wane to suit all kinds of different life forces and demands. My current job isn't demanding nor am I currently engaged in any education, nor do I have a girlfriend or even many real life friends that I go out and hang with, so my movie time is as wide open as can be. That being said, my free time has recently been dominated by television. And soon I will be in grad school and teaching a college class and my free time will likely be very limited. It's how life goes. I think we all understand that. Anyways. Yes. As movie time shortens it makes more sense to be picky. But also, this is still a hobby and proscribing films because they don't fit into what I currently know I like will probably never be a part of my considerations because I just don't work that way. Specifically, if a group of people with whom I share a general taste and sense of enthusiasm about the topic of movies suggest that I should see a film because of an outstanding performance or scene or whatever, I'll be very happy to prioritize it. And if somebody doesn't want to participate in that group effort that's fine, too. Their loss.

This year I gave up on Obvious Child and Love is Strange. Both times I told myself that I would get back to them and finish up. I haven't, and I feel no strong desire to do so, either. I don't know if this has anything to do with anything. Call it a tangent to a tangent to a tangent.
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roujin

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Re: Filmspots 2014: Nominated Films Checklist
« Reply #192 on: March 09, 2015, 03:22:42 PM »
Watch whatever you want for whatever reason :)

MartinTeller

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Re: Filmspots 2014: Nominated Films Checklist
« Reply #193 on: March 09, 2015, 03:24:10 PM »
will probably never be a part of my considerations because I just don't work that way.

I felt that way once too.  I certainly didn't think "well sure, I'm into constantly exploring and taking a bunch of chances now but at some point enough is enough."

When I was in my 20's, I thought I would never want kids.  Now I want kids.  Maybe just one.  People change and situations change.  It doesn't mean one or the other is right, it's just what's right for you at the time.


Watch whatever you want for whatever reason :)

Bingo

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Re: Filmspots 2014: Nominated Films Checklist
« Reply #194 on: March 09, 2015, 03:34:35 PM »
Yup. Certainly at this point in my life, probably for the rest of it. There's growing scientific research which says that our thoughts are not ourselves. We think things that aren't true or don't fit into our idea of ourselves all the time but we dismiss those thoughts and we should, but it calls into question everything else, doesn't it? Add to that idea the fact that I haven't experienced as much as you have and you haven't experienced as much as an 80 year old person has and I do think it adds up to my previous conclusion. Of course, I also think that trying to figure out who I am and why I am that way is important, I just think that the journey is the destination in this case.

And that's why I said this earlier. As of right now, I feel like I'll always be more adventurous in my movie choices. But maybe I don't know myself that well, maybe you're right. Only one way to find out...

Watch whatever you want for whatever reason :)
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Jared

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Re: Filmspots 2014: Nominated Films Checklist
« Reply #195 on: March 09, 2015, 03:36:04 PM »
Hmm. Looking at the spreadsheet on my desktop I'm at like 6,000 movies seen and I still don't have THAT much of a handle on what I'll dislike, short of Cameron Diaz movies.

Am I the only person that likes watching movies, even when I'm kind of disliking them? Maybe its just being the type of person that only gets 6 hours of sleep, but I try to kick back with a beer (or 5) and watch something almost nightly once the rest of the family is asleep. It's a fun little hobby/routine, even when the movie kind of sucks.

verbALs

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Re: Filmspots 2014: Nominated Films Checklist
« Reply #196 on: March 09, 2015, 04:09:58 PM »
Out of interest I thought I'd check. The last film I rated Bad on Letterboxd was They Live By Night. I gave it 2 stars so not awful;

Quote
Feel like I've got this one out of the way. It lurched violently into melodrama. Noirs that major on the romantic aspects have a tendency to do that, and they can get overblown in the way it does here. Putting swelling strings behind these scenes of declarations of love, push it close to pastiche. Farley Granger looks as dangerous as Flipper the dolphin. For what it explores it takes a hell of a long time doing it. On the few occasions that it remembers it is a crime film then Ray reasserts himself, but those moments leave you gasping for more or a quick release. I knew the film that followed Gyllenhaal and Spall was going to get a kicking.

Like I say the film following Nightcrawler and Mr Turner was going to get judged harshly.

I watched it over 4 months ago. I'm not doing too bad following my own taste am I?

My real point is I slagged the film off but I explained very precisely why it didn't work. Which returns me to the original point that got lost in all the tangents. If you want to slap a film give some considered insight. Please. You might be slapping someone's beloved movie and that ain't nice.

Or just pithy one liners. Whatever floats your boat.  8)
« Last Edit: March 09, 2015, 04:20:06 PM by verbALs »
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Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: Filmspots 2014: Nominated Films Checklist
« Reply #197 on: March 09, 2015, 04:18:29 PM »
Watch whatever you want for whatever reason :)
I watch only for research value.

roujin

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Re: Filmspots 2014: Nominated Films Checklist
« Reply #198 on: March 09, 2015, 04:26:24 PM »
It's all research. It's true.

But you do run into mediocre movies almost constantly.

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Re: Filmspots 2014: Nominated Films Checklist
« Reply #199 on: March 10, 2015, 11:46:01 AM »
Time rules everything - to me the, experience watching a film (good or bad) held prominence over writing about them, then reading about them. I place all these all aspects of the "movie related slice of the pie" in terms of my individual chrono-sumption, along with other things in the sphere of course (box office games, physical media browsing). As that slice becomes smaller, I find myself choosing the ingredient make-up more carefully as well. Everyone will have their own priorities in both larger and smaller terms and compromises will be made. To each his or her own cinema.