Author Topic: #675: Ready Player One / Top 5 Movie Homages / FS Madness Final  (Read 1299 times)

pixote

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Is there a four-hour cut of READY PLAYER ONE? Adam and guest host Tasha Robinson (TheVerge.com, The Next Picture Show) have no idea, but it would help explain some of the narrative shortcuts in Spielberg's visually impressive adaptation of the Ernest Cline bestseller. The good news about the story's leap to the big screen is an improvement on the fun, but slight source material and some electrifying moments of nostalgia-fueled fun. Adam and Tasha also go on an Easter Egg hunt of sorts, with their Top 5 Movie Homages (that is, movies referencing other movies), including a movie-length Tarantino homage that gobsmacks Adam when Tasha points it out. All that, plus the championship round of Filmspotting Madness.

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TheRingshifter

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Re: #675: Ready Player One / Top 5 Movie Homages / FS Madness Final
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2018, 02:26:58 PM »
Like, even though the reviews for Ready Player One aren't super positive in this episode, it's still one of the biggest disagreements I've had with Filmspotting.

This is like a film that I hate so much it's not that I can't understand why people love it, or even that I can't understand why people like it - I can't understand why people tolerate this movie.

The biggest thing I don't get that reviewers seem to cite as a positive for this film is that it's "visually exciting". I really do not see how at all. For me, this was one of the ugliest films visually I've seen for ages. It looks like that Final Fantasy film from like 15 years ago - "The Spirits Within". And I just don't see how any of the action is better than the dreck in the Transformers films.

I guess you could at least say this film got my blood pumping... I kind of just feel the need to get into arguments with anyone who gives this over like, 2.5/5.

nwillard

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Re: #675: Ready Player One / Top 5 Movie Homages / FS Madness Final
« Reply #2 on: April 18, 2018, 04:47:25 PM »
My favorite reference from Ready Player One, is Toshiro Mifune. Not that it's exactly subtle, since the character of Daito's real name is Toshiro. But it was cool to see that Daito's mask is Mifune's face; it was the kind of pop-culture reference I was not expecting. I'm assuming that came from Spielberg and not Cline.

That said, I really disliked how this movie felt like it had to explain most of its references. If anyone cares that it's the bike from Akira, they'll know it. In general this movie seems to assume its viewers are rather dumb and need everything explained, even when the visuals are doing a fine job. Which is a bit ironic for a movie that seems to be targeted at and audience that should be very visually literate, and wants to find the Easter eggs.

I can understand the need for some narration, but perhaps this could have been done in a vlog style, or as a gamer making videos for his channel. In itself it could have referenced pop culture.

MartinTeller

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Re: #675: Ready Player One / Top 5 Movie Homages / FS Madness Final
« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2018, 06:39:31 PM »
I really disliked how this movie felt like it had to explain most of its references. If anyone cares that it's the bike from Akira, they'll know it. In general this movie seems to assume its viewers are rather dumb and need everything explained

The book is the same way.

1SO

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Re: #675: Ready Player One / Top 5 Movie Homages / FS Madness Final
« Reply #4 on: April 18, 2018, 06:39:33 PM »
I’ve seen movies that felt the need to explain every pop culture reference. I’ve seen many Spielberg movies that explained more than they needed to. Everyone is going to have a different level of tolerance for this, and it would be just as weird if nobody ever commented on the references. Part of calling out a reference in reality is letting the other people know that you get it, that you’re as cool as they are.
« Last Edit: April 18, 2018, 06:55:19 PM by 1SO »

nwillard

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Re: #675: Ready Player One / Top 5 Movie Homages / FS Madness Final
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2018, 03:30:20 PM »
certainly - and I can accept that some of these characters recognizing a reference is them expressing who they are as characters, which is fine up to a point, but also makes the characters a bit unlikeable, because who really likes being around geeks who are always trying to one up each other with their geek knowledge.

But I also think it would be more fun to let the viewer recognize the reference and point it out to others (thus getting the pleasure of being the annoying geek). I certainly got pleasure out of seeing the Mifune reference and pointing it out when I haven't heard anyone else point it out yet. (Not only am I a geek, I am a cinema geek).

 

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