Cameron also knows WHERE to burn the Benjamins. Any idiot can burn money on a movie set, but it takes skill to burn it right and get a spectacular bonfire going.Yes
But it's amazing how easy that is to miss on first view.
BTiLC is a mess. But a fun one.
I'd be inclined to agree that big budgets don't suit some film-makers, and Carpenter was one. I suspect in many cases they don't really know what to do with the money, because it's not their thing. At the other end, despite their frequent mediocrity in key ways, James Cameron's films usually look amazing because he really knows how to burn through money on them. I wonder if inability to use a budget might be a component of a wider problem for Carpenter: I'm not sure he grew as a film-maker. What was there in 1995 was little more than what was there in 1975, except out of date and with much of the creativity used up.
Discuss and Rate the Last Film You Watched
- Thread starter Th3Ch33s3Cak3
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Notably he does kill the BBEG while the Hero is off being chased by one of their minions.
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It's been a long time since I saw that film, but I don't recall the Friar killing Dracula? Is there a different BBEG you are referring to?
In Big Trouble in Little China, I mean. Actually, maybe I should have put that in spoilers for people who've not seen the film.
Ah my bad, I read the bit with Van Helsing at the start of what you quoted, and thought you meant Van Helsing, not Big Trouble. Just kind of skimmed over my own post. But yes he did do that. xD And the movie is 34 years old (holy fuck), so I think you can be excused from spoilers. It's literally older than a lot of the people on this forum
Resident Evil: Vendetta - My God this the right combination of awesome and stupid. It's the best of the RE CGI movies. I actually do like Degeneration though; Damnation on the other hand I find forgettable. Someone who did this film really loves John Wick and is way more over-the-top than all of the Wick films combined. Despite all of the silly stuff, the film has heart and the interaction between Rebecca Chambers, Chris, and Leon are on point. The plot is that some weapon arms dealer is making a virus that can turn people in to zombies, but the twist is that they can be made to go after specific targets and not mindlessly just attack what's ever in front of them. Arias the main villain is a sadistic bastard, and we're supposed to sympathize him to some extant, because his wedding got bombed by the goverment with him being the only survivor. I feel bad for his family, but not him. The ************ was profiting off the lives and bloods of the innocent. The only difference being his motivation and kept doing what he had already been doing. Just worse and even more destructive and vindictive. There are some weird lose ends that never gets addressed as one line outright states that some members of Los Illuminados are still alive and are looking for revenge on Leon. Yet it is never brought up again. Maybe their saving it for a sequel hook, but I highly doubt they're going to go back to that. Not with RE8 Village on Capcom's focus. Also, Arias' right hand woman survives so that is a definite sequel hook I think they are not going to do with either. I might as well not even acknowledge it.
I do recommend this film to RE fans. I cannot make up the crazy, dumb shit that goes on in this movie.
I do recommend this film to RE fans. I cannot make up the crazy, dumb shit that goes on in this movie.
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To me, the 1970’s version of Scrooge, with Albert Finney as Scrooge and Sir Alec Guiness as Marley, will always be the superior adaptation of A Christmas Carol.
I watched Smilla's Sense of Snow, a sort of mystery thriller. Great movie title, based on a Danish novel of the same name. It's about a half-Greenlandic woman (Smilla) looking into the mysterious death of a kid who lived in her building and she developed a sort of mothering relationship towards, and getting caught in something bigger than her because of it. The plot isn't incredibly original in that sense, but the performance of the actress made Smilla into an interesting, rather feisty protagonist. I don't think it's a movie that's going to stick with me for a long time, but you could do worse.
I always think it's interesting to compare Cameron and his inferior imitator, Michael Bay. You watch a Cameron movie, and even after you've sat through some of the so-so script and acting, something really impressive he's done sticks with you. Michael Bay also knows how to splurge $$$, but never gets beyond transient functionality. The memories are over as soon as the popcorn.
For the most part I would agree, though I do fondly recall several scenes in the first Transformers film, and thought they were done well, as purely cinematic moments. I think that movie, was mostly well done, with some very lumpy bits here and there.
Already covered. The Transformers were supposed to have personalities, be relatable to, you could care about them. Under Bay, they became disposable chunks of metal. I did not have a good opinion of Michael Bay even before he utterly murdered one of my most cherished media from my childhood.
What I mostly remember from that movie is lots of fast-cutting, blurry SFX. It creates some sense that there's action going on, without having to have much idea what any of that action was. I felt bored. I've come to hate fast cutting generally. It's used too much as a cheap and nasty way to save money and effort: a facsimile of excitement instead of a beautifully crafted piece of cinematic choreography. Where you used to see a martial artist (or trained stage fighter) do their thing, now you just have 50 cuts with flickers of movement and then it's over.
Considering some of the really stupid ideas stinking up the pre-production of Transformers - like that NONE of the Autobots or Decepticons would speak - them even having the ability to say things at all feels like a victory. Yet ironically the Jaegers of Pacific Rim have a great deal more visual personality and character to them than many of the Transformers.
Personally I liked the first bit of Transformers 1, where Bumblebee is entirely personalized through random actions while maintaining his cover. Switching out the radio station, suddenly "breaking down", opening his doors to break the other cars on the lot, so Sam buys him. I thought it actually worked really well. That whole "before Sam really knows his car is a robot" is probably my favorite part of that whole film, to be honest.
Dragged Across Concrete
I thought I was going to watch another trashy Mel Gibson flick from his pariah days but turns out it's an actual movie, with a script and a director and everything. Reminded me a lot of the Refn series Too Old to Die Young (unfairly, the movie predates it by a year): deliberately slow, methodically paced, patina of cold gritty realism slowly peeling away to reveal the dream logic guiding everything. A bit of Tarantino too the way characters express themselves and how even the most trivial of scenes stretches as long as the director godamn pleases. Enjoyed it very much.
I thought I was going to watch another trashy Mel Gibson flick from his pariah days but turns out it's an actual movie, with a script and a director and everything. Reminded me a lot of the Refn series Too Old to Die Young (unfairly, the movie predates it by a year): deliberately slow, methodically paced, patina of cold gritty realism slowly peeling away to reveal the dream logic guiding everything. A bit of Tarantino too the way characters express themselves and how even the most trivial of scenes stretches as long as the director godamn pleases. Enjoyed it very much.
"The Little Things" got released in theaters and HBO Max on the same day. The trailer makes it look pretty great. 1st rate actors including Denzel Washington. It is so bad, a youtube review asks if this is Denzel's worst movie ever. ("No" one person replied: ever seen Carbon Copy?). It is long, slow, meandering and leaves one asking what on Earth is the redeemable message of this movie? The title actually refers to something that is not so little at all. Just, stay away.
Was that the Fast and the Furious rip-off (or so it seemed) with the ad that featured a woman's skirts being blown up by a vehicle traveling fast next to her?
Which presumably was one of the selling points of the film if it was in the ad. Didn't go see the movie, so can't say for sure.
Yes. I did not see in theaters, but watched it with my older brother when the movie released on DVD.
Finally saw Prince of Darkness after not seeing it in a long time. I think I only saw it once or twice, so it almost new again for me. I am surprised how many actors show up from Big Trouble in Little China. Donald Pleasance plays as a priest and is awesome as always. This is Carpenter's 2nd best Cthulhu/HP Lovecraft story with In the Mouth of Madness being number one. All are better than Lovecraft himself. PoD is the 2nd film in Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy. Basically, Satan exists as green goo, and is trying to bring back his father, The Anti-God. Not only that, Satan, The Anti-God, God, and Jesus are interdenominational beings/human aliens. A unique way to do a Lovecraft story. No one better start that history channel "Aliens" meme. PoD may be the "weakest" of the trilogy, but it is not a bad film. The film's got atmosphere, tone, proper slow build without dragging its heels, and is scary. Acting is pretty good too. I do not want to spoil anything, but if none of you have seen this or thought less of the film, I urge you all to give it another shot or go. You won't be disappointed.
My rank for the trilogy goes:
My rank for the trilogy goes:
- The Thing
- In The Mouth of Madness
- Prince of Darkness
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