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  1.  

    How sweet.

  2.  

    It took me so long to realize what this was, and then…

    O.O

    So, who is the top right hand guy? Can’t place him.

  3.  

    Count Rugen would be my guess.

    Goddamn I love that movie.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeOct 3rd 2012
     

    Someone the other day was talking about how they didn’t like the movie and didn’t think it was funny. I have serious questions about that person’s mental state.

  4.  

    I assume you didn’t leave them alive.

  5.  

    Agreed. I will always defend this movie.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeOct 3rd 2012
     

    I made a joke the other day about a duel “to the pain”, but nobody understood it.

    Also this:

    “Judging from the title [“The Princess Bride”], I wouldn’t want to watch it”

    :(

  6.  

    THE PRINCESS BRIDE IS THE BEST. ‘Nuff said.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeOct 4th 2012
     

    @Taku – the sad part is that that’s basically the entire premise of the movie.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeOct 4th 2012
     

    He was mentally thinking of some insipid Romance chick-flick, though.

    I need to show him a few clips on Youtube, just to spike his interest.

  7.  

    I suppose the title is rather misleading.

    Re: Clips- yes, good! That’s how I got my roommates to watch Monty Python with me.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTheArmada
    • CommentTimeOct 8th 2012
     

    Just saw Looper. Mind=Blown. The plot was one of the most complex time-travel/noir/action mashups I have ever seen, and through it all there was this human element that put the action onscreen on a whole other level of dramatic depth that had me clinging to my seat. Then there was the ending. I am not putting it in spoiler tags because you all are going to click them and read it anyways. This is one of those films that will have you on the edge of your seat, then leave you thinking about it for a long time afterwards.

    Seriously, you all should see it.

  8.  

    ^ They had an advance showing here at Cal with the director and JGL showing up. Unfortunately I couldn’t go. :( But it’s definitely on my to-watch list.

  9.  

    You missed an opportunity to view the beatific Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the flesh?

    None of you should ever watch a movie called Bad Habits. It is the saddest movie about food ever made. Movies about food should be joyful. If not joyful, movies about food should be transcendent. Bad Habits tries to be transcendent with weird magical visions, but falls flat on its face.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTheArmada
    • CommentTimeOct 8th 2012
     

    Wait, Snow White Queen, you got an opportunity to see JGL in the flesh? Unless someone died/there’s a catastrophe/you have an exam the next morning there is no excuse for not going.

  10.  

    Exam. ;(

    •  
      CommentAuthorSpanman
    • CommentTimeOct 9th 2012
     

    Taken 2 was worse than mediocre.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeOct 9th 2012
     

    Is it bad enough to be hilariously awful, though?

  11.  

    Liam Neeson’s particular set of skills didn’t work here.

  12.  

    Last thing I watched was Oliver.

    CONSIDER YOURSELF AT HOME
    CONSIDER YOURSELF ONE OF THE FAMILY.

    • CommentAuthorSen
    • CommentTimeOct 14th 2012
     

    Winter’s Bone.

    I’d always thought Jennifer Lawrence was a pretty good actress, but, wow.

  13.  

    On October 8, 2012, it was reported that Fox had requested an extended version of [ Prometheus ] for home media, but Scott refused to edit cut scenes back into the theatrical version of the film, which he considered his director’s cut.

    :(

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeOct 14th 2012
     

    That’s strange, just last night I saw a TV spot for the Prometheus DVD with “alternate beginning” and “alternate ending” that apparently “answer all the questions”.

  14.  

    I found that on Wikipedia (it was cited), and it said that there were deleted scenes and such on the DVD/Bluray, just that there wouldn’t be a director’s cut. But you would think that Scott’s director’s cut/preferred version would “answer all the questions.” I just really wanted a good director’s cut that made the movie live up to its potential.

  15.  

    Apparently Ant Man is getting a movie. ...Why?

    (And also, why would it be greenlighted before a Black Widow or even a Hawkeye movie?)

    • CommentAuthorWiseWillow
    • CommentTimeOct 16th 2012
     

    AGREED. Come on, Marvel. WHAT HAPPENED IN BUDAPEST????????

  16.  

    Apparently Ant Man is getting a movie. ...Why?

    Because money.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeOct 16th 2012
     

    On a tangentially related topic, I rewatched the Avengers for the first time since it came out in theaters the other night. It’s… shorter than I remember. I guess I thought there was more time between Loki’s escape from the Helicarrier and the end battle?

    Anyway, it’s still pretty awesome. I loved Dr. Banner even more this time around, I think.

  17.  

    Because money.

    But see, I don’t even understand that argument. Who cares enough about Ant Man to go see a big budget action movie about him? I guess this argument could be made for any of the superheroes, but they have awesome powers and general asskickery that do not seem inherent in a guy named ‘Ant Man’. Then, I don’t know anything about Ant Man. I just know it sounds dumb and I probably won’t see it, unless it’s some kind of hilariously self-aware comedy.

  18.  

    Marvel is (allegedly) trying to dial back costs on standalone installments now that they’ve become such reliable blockbusters. Ant Man means not having to pay ScarJo for a feature film.

    I wonder how much wife-beating will make it into the film, though.

  19.  

    It’s an Ant-Man movie made by Edgar Wright. Why are you complaining?

  20.  

    A movie that uses the superhero genre (or any genre, frankly) to address domestic violence in a non-preachy, non-arthouse forum could be excellent.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeOct 17th 2012
     

    Ant Man means not having to pay ScarJo for a feature film.

    Which is a pity, because I also ended up liking Black Widow more than ever during my rewatch, and I’d like to see Hawkeye when he’s not Brainwashed and Crazy.

  21.  

    @ Marquis: To be honest, I didn’t know anything about the director, I just heard the subject and thought ‘What?’

  22.  

    I hate how everyone looks at Ant-Man and thinks “WIFEBEATER!”, as if that’s his superpower.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeOct 17th 2012
     

    Well, if someone just knows one thing about Ant-Man, it’s probably that. To be completely honest, I don’t know much more than that either, other than there’s quite a bit of context surrounding it, it was hardly habitual (he was in the middle of a mental breakdown, right?), and it’s not like the Wasp is exactly defenseless.

  23.  

    It’s such a unique property among superhero characters that it’s the go-to joke when Hank Pym comes up. It does end up being pretty reductive, but hey, that’s how it goes.

  24.  

    Wreck-It Ralph kicked so much ass.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeNov 6th 2012
     

    I am so pleased to hear that! I wanted it to be awesome so badly.

    • CommentAuthorSen
    • CommentTimeNov 6th 2012
     

    The Tree of Life started out beautifully and then … dinosaurs???

    I guess it was easy to see what Malick was going for. Honestly though, I felt the movie paid more attention to itself than to the viewer. And the reviews. X_X

    I really wish there weren’t people out there who think that you’d have to be an idiot to not “get” the movie. Even someone who appreciates the art of film could still dislike this one.

  25.  

    and then … dinosaurs???

    I have to admit this made me laugh.

    • CommentAuthorDeborah
    • CommentTimeNov 11th 2012 edited
     
  26.  

    Skyfall is possibly even better than Casino Royale.

  27.  

    ^^ This makes me super excited. :D

  28.  

    I’ve heard so many good things about Wreck-it Ralph that I might cave and see it…

    • CommentAuthorDave
    • CommentTimeNov 14th 2012
     
    Skyfall was excellent.
  29.  

    Silent Hill: Revelations was terrible. There was no way they could do a worse job on the movie. They turned 4 interesting characters into generic messes, turned 2 villains into heroes and continued to run over the canon without abandon.

  30.  

    Apparently there was a Paradise Lost movie planned starring Bradley Cooper as Satan. What.

    It’s been shelved, though, so I guess that’s good.

    •  
      CommentAuthorSpanman
    • CommentTimeNov 19th 2012 edited
     

    Breaking Dawn Part 2 was adequate, but only because of about the last fifth of the film (I condone a film deviating from the book if the book can be categorized as “totally lame”). I was even okay with how they dealt with the imprinting thing, and by that I mean they made it as non-creepy as possible. As far as acting and such went, it was easy to see how much Robert Pattinson doesn’t care about his role as Edward. I mean, it became more and more obvious as the movies progressed, but he really outdid himself in the last film. The least he could have done was actually go with it to the end. Edward’s made him famous, after all.

    All the vampires were horrific. Either they were bad at acting or looked awful in their makeup or both. Lee Pace may have been the only exception but he, too, had to deal with incredibly lame lines. Surprisingly, both Kristin Stewart and Taylor Lautner made their characters both interesting and believable, so kudos to them for doing something they’ve never done before.

    Besides all the awkward lines, CGI demon babies (worst solution ever for the problem of “no babies can act the way we want them to”), and the complete lack of an actual plot, there were some funny parts and a few cool effects. One of the “good” vampires (played by Rami Malek, who looks like a crazed axe murderer due to his giant starey eyes) had a manipulating-the-elements power, so he did some neat earth-cracking and fire-throwing and such.

    Final thoughts: wouldn’t recommend, but I didn’t feel like stabbing my eyes out at the end. Plus it’s the end, so that’s good too.

  31.  

    I saw Skyfall today and it was real cool.

    Apparently there was a Paradise Lost movie planned starring Bradley Cooper as Satan. What.

    Yeah, you didn’t hear about that shit? I believe the phrase “3D aerial warfare” was used in some of the early press releases. I think we really missed out on a gem there.

    I’ve heard so many good things about Wreck-it Ralph that I might cave and see it…

    If you haven’t done that in the week since you posted this, you should go do that.

  32.  

    3D aerial warfare

    Okay, that sounds awesome.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeNov 23rd 2012
     

    Finally got around to watching Brave. It’s a really great movie and I loved the visuals, but something about it just didn’t feel Pixar to me. My sister said it was because it was too serious, I think it’s because it’s too “normal”, but I’m not really sure why I though that. Maybe also because I still have Tangled on the mind? I dunno.

    I really have to say again just how beautiful that movie is. It’s just so gorgeous! And my mom, who is notorious for disliking animated movies (she doesn’t like Finding Nemo, for crying out loud—the only two animated movies she unreservedly likes are Tangled and the Jungle Book), said she liked it, so that’s a good sign. :)

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeNov 23rd 2012
     

    Les Mis trailer

    I have to admit, Hathaway does have a good voice. I’m not sure about the casting of Russell Crowe as Javert, but I’m quite excited to see this version anyway.

  33.  

    Russell Crowe

    To be honest, this is my only sticking point. But then I never really liked Crowe. :P

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeNov 24th 2012
     

    In Gladiator, brilliant. In Master and Commander, okay. In Robin hood, actually quite good. In most other roles, not so much.

    Exception for A Beautiful Mind, because he managed to shake off that ‘untouchable hardass manly man’ persona that seems to seep through into every other character since Maximus.

  34.  

    Finally got around to watching Brave. It’s a really great movie and I loved the visuals, but something about it just didn’t feel Pixar to me. My sister said it was because it was too serious, I think it’s because it’s too “normal”, but I’m not really sure why I though that. Maybe also because I still have Tangled on the mind? I dunno.

    It’s kind of like Season 2 of The Wire. It’s not really the story people expect to see when they first sit down to watch it, and as a result I think a lot of them never really got settled in and it throws the whole viewer-movie wavelength off. I don’t mean that as a knock on the movie since I enjoyed it, but anecdotally it seems like there’s a much higher rate of people feeling kinda weird about it than any other movie I can think of.

  35.  

    people feelings kinda weird

    That sums up my opinion really well, actually. I don’t think Brave is a bad movie, it’s just missing…something Pixar-ish. Maybe I just need to see it again, and then it won’t be so insubstantial in my mind.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeNov 24th 2012
     

    @sansa – yeah, maybe that’s it. I guess you could say it was missing a little… whimsy? Every Pixar movie has that little bit of oddness—toys coming to life, a desperate struggle to survive by ants, a word populated by cars, a man and a boy floating on balloons to South America—and this one sort of seemed to just… not have that. Sure, it had bears, but it started off pretty normally. I don’t know that any other Pixar movies have done that.

    Again, I truly did enjoy the movie and I would like to see it again and I thought it was funny and dramatic at the right moments. I’m just also one of those people who felt weird about it.

    •  
      CommentAuthorPuppet
    • CommentTimeNov 24th 2012
     

    Well, Skyfall was sold out so I went and saw The Life of Pi instead. I wouldn’t call it a terrible movie, but I wouldn’t call it a great movie either. It had some good moments, but it was really strange overall and not work the $14 I paid to see it.

    • CommentAuthorDanielle
    • CommentTimeNov 24th 2012
     

    Wreck-It Ralph was surprisingly good. I wouldn’t say it was as good as the Toy Story movies, but I would call it the Toy Story of old arcade games. The world rang sound and was well thought-out, many of the characters were well-rounded, there was plenty of humor and a few twists I did not see coming. And I’ve guessed most of the BIG PLOT TWISTS of all the cartoons I’ve seen the past few years.

    Maybe I’m alone in this, but I didn’t see the twist in Wreck-It Ralph coming, so that was quite refreshing. If anyone is considering seeing it, I’d recommend it.

    •  
      CommentAuthorApep
    • CommentTimeNov 24th 2012
     

    Watched Master of the World on Netflix. A movie based on not one, but two Jules Verne novels, and it stars Vincent Price.

    As the inventor/captain of an airship.

    What’s not to like?

    •  
      CommentAuthorSpanman
    • CommentTimeNov 25th 2012
     

    Skyfall was pretty cool. I haven’t seen any other James Bond movies so I don’t really know if it was great in comparison, but I liked it a lot. I was expecting a lot of silly gadgetry so I was glad to see not much of that. The scenes in Scotland were amazing.

    • CommentAuthorDave
    • CommentTimeNov 25th 2012
     

    ^ I liked it enough that I went and saw it twice.

  36.  

    I have to admit, Hathaway does have a good voice. I’m not sure about the casting of Russell Crowe as Javert, but I’m quite excited to see this version anyway

    Yeah, pretty much this.

  37.  

    I try really hard not to hype myself up too much, but these clips are getting me pretty damn excited for ‘The Hobbit’.

    •  
      CommentAuthorApep
    • CommentTimeNov 28th 2012
     

    Those are pretty entertaining clips.

    • CommentAuthorDeborah
    • CommentTimeNov 29th 2012
     

    Here is the trailer for Iron Man 3 Anyone seen this yet?

    •  
      CommentAuthorSpanman
    • CommentTimeDec 6th 2012
     

    I watched Battle Royale the other day after reading the book last weekend. I was actually surprised by how good it was, but that may just be because basically all the people I know who watched it said it was 1) boring, or 2) not gory enough for a slasher film. But I actually really enjoyed it, despite a few of its flaws.

  38.  

    I always saw Battle Royale as the competition portion of the Hunger Games done right, though I never read the book. I honestly can’t figure out what it’s flaws would be, beyond that teacher thing at the end and the fact it spawned a terrible sequel.

  39.  

    I didn’t want to create a new thread for this, but I’m seeing the Hobbit midnight premiere…so would anyone be interested in me writing a review for this site? If yes, I’ll be on break and I can definitely write something up.

    •  
      CommentAuthorSpanman
    • CommentTimeDec 7th 2012
     

    I honestly can’t figure out what it’s flaws would be

    Most of them probably have to do with plot deviations from the book, most of which I think were warranted so they’re not necessarily flaws at all. The fact that they were trying to sell Kawada Shogo as being an 18 year old played by an actor who was like 30 did get on my nerves a bit.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeDec 7th 2012
     

    @SWQ – I was going to ask “will it have spoilers”, and then I remembered I’ve read the book a hundred times. I’d be interested, sure! I plan to see it in a theater at some point soon, but not the premiere.

    •  
      CommentAuthorThea
    • CommentTimeDec 9th 2012
     

    So I saw the last Twilight movie. By far the funniest of the bunch, sometimes even on purpose! (maybe). I think I even saw some emoting by the actors during the part that didn’t happen—which was too bad, because much like the rest of the movie, it actually started to touch on some themes and idea—but immediately drew away. Worse than playing it straight, IMO.

    The weirdest part was the reaction to the scene that wasn’t. As soon as they drew back to ‘real time’, the entire audience lost it; I was up on the balcony and only heard the person behind me: “seriously!?. Did they really think the movie would do that? Even my brother, who didn’t know anything about it in advance (and I tried to tell him), knew they wouldn’t do that.

  40.  

    Most of them probably have to do with plot deviations from the book, most of which I think were warranted so they’re not necessarily flaws at all. The fact that they were trying to sell Kawada Shogo as being an 18 year old played by an actor who was like 30 did get on my nerves a bit.

    That is always pretty annoying, but I’m willing to give people a pass on having adults playing teenaged roles considering child labor laws and some of the unfortunate effects of child stars. I could also go on a huge rant about kids these days and their lack of appreciation for thrillers, but then I remember that’s a pretty pretentious view and I might as well be shaking my cane at the wippersnappers on my lawn despite being in my 20s.

    Saw The Devil’s Carnival, the next project from the dudes who did Repo: The Genetic Opera. It’s… meh. The costumes and songs are gorgeous, but the plot is quite lacking. It would have been more powerful they they had done a bit more development instead of trying to fit 3 stories into a 40 minute time frame, or if they did more to focus on the characters themselves and not the fables they’re based on. There’s also some unfortunate implications behind the way they depict the Scorpion and the Frog’s fable.

  41.  

    You know… with the Host… City of Bones… and so many other lulzy movies coming out soon, we really need to start up II viewing/riff clubs.

    Finally got around to watching Brave. It’s a really great movie and I loved the visuals, but something about it just didn’t feel Pixar to me. My sister said it was because it was too serious, I think it’s because it’s too “normal”, but I’m not really sure why I though that. Maybe also because I still have Tangled on the mind? I dunno.

    Because it’s a movie about (to quote Jake) “white people problems” and the stakes/conflicts in the movie are abysmally low compared with other Pixar films. I’m this far from ripping into it via a compare/contrast with How to Train Your Dragon.

    • CommentAuthorWiseWillow
    • CommentTimeDec 11th 2012
     

    HOBBIT. HOBBIT. HOBBIT.

    Made plans with a friend and her husband to see it on Friday. :D SQUEE!

  42.  

    You know… with the Host… City of Bones… and so many other lulzy movies coming out soon, we really need to start up II viewing/riff clubs.

    Yeah, we totally need to share skype IDs and stream it there.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeDec 12th 2012 edited
     

    Because it’s a movie about (to quote Jake) “white people problems” and the stakes/conflicts in the movie are abysmally low compared with other Pixar films. I’m this far from ripping into it via a compare/contrast with How to Train Your Dragon.

    Please do?

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeDec 12th 2012
     
    @Nate - But are they really so low? They're about a girl who makes poor choices, leading to her mother and brothers being cursed, and trying to save them. Finding Nemo is about a father who makes poor choices, leading to his son getting kidnapped, and trying to save him. Toy Story is about one guy being jealous about being replaced by another guy, so they both make poor choices, and then they have to return home before they get left behind.

    I guess the scope is smaller. They don't go as many places. Still, not all Pixar movies are about the future of the world/colony (Wall-E and A Bug's Life) or scientific discovery (Up) or whatever. Some are just about a couple of people and their problems. I just don't know if this explains why Brave felt so different to me.

    Maybe it was just that it was about ordinary people. Up had Dug and Kevin and all, alongside the ordinary people.
  43.  

    No no, I don’t mean scale, but stakes. Finding Nemo – Marlin could lose the only family he has left. Same with Incredibles. The stakes in Brave don’t become “losing Mom” until like… halfway through. (the stakes before that are what I said earlier: “white people problems”)

    Also, the other Pixar movies are usually about the protagonist and their devotion to others.

    Toy Story (1, 2 & 3)- the boy Andy and/or the other toys.
    Bugs Life – the Ant Colony
    Monster Inc – Boo
    Finding Nemo – Marlin & Nemo towards each other.
    the Incredibles – Bob Parr & family (and friends) towards each other
    Cars 1 & 2 – first really selfish protagonist who learns to care about others (also, notice their first really weak story), and 2 is the same just with Mater. However, what saved Cars 1 (can’t be understated), was Lightning giving up his win to help the King across the finish line.
    Ratatouille – Remy & Linguini towards each other
    Wall-E – Eve (and the human race in general inadvertently)
    Up – Carl initially towards Ellie (even just her memory) then later towards Russell, Kevin & Dug
    Brave? Merida is all about Merida. I’ll rewatch it again before I’d say for certain how well the character arc concludes (I’m well prepared to be wrong), but the initial impression was that she wanted her mother to be fine, for Merida’s sake, not really for her father’s sake or brothers’ or the kingdom’s or even her own mother’s well being.

  44.  
  45.  

    I would have to argue on Ratatouille. Linguini was all about Linguini until about half way in the movie. He was devoted to Remy because Remy was his ticket to fame. It wasn’t until later in the movie when they started developing a bond. In that sense, it has a lot in common with Brave.

    Also, as far as I could see, Toy Story 1 was more about sharing the limelight more than anything else. It really wasn’t Andy’s wishes they were concerned with in the beginning, but his attention. When Woody pushed Buzz out the window, he wasn’t thinking, “This is for Andy”, he was thinking, “This will get Buzz out fo the way so I can be the favorite”. A lot of people claim Toy Story was meant to represent Buzz as a step dad, but I think Buzz is supposed to be a little brother. The person who just comes out of nowhere and suddenly snaps up the attention of everyone else around.

    While that does make only 5/12 Pixar movies have protagonists who are selfish in the beginning, it does show that this isn’t exactly out of the Pixar equation.

    I think there are a lot of factors in Brave that made it feel like a “lesser” movie. One factor was the fact it was aimed at a female audience. Most Pixar films had male protagonists and were more “manly” movies. They were about fighting to protect the damsels of each of their movies or going for glory.
    You also have the aesthetic to worry about. It feels closer to a Dreamsworks style than a Pixar style. Pixar tends to have very non-human looking characters in most of their movies, even in the movies where the characters are humans. Brave was cartoony, but it laced some of the exaggeration they used to go with.
    It came out after Up. It was the sacrificial lamb that that had to follow one of the most tear jerking, heart warming movies ever made. No matter what movie was going to come out after Up, it wasn’t going to be as good.
    Last of all, they took the slap stick route to their comedy. Where there was a lot of slapstick in most other Pixar films, they usually had more “adult” humor.

  46.  

    A ‘Hobbit’ review by yours truly is in the works. I have a lot to say, so hopefully people are interested in hearing it.

    •  
      CommentAuthorThea
    • CommentTimeDec 15th 2012
     

    Why do 50s movies have stronger female characters than most modern movies? (I mean, there are the obvious problems, but the overall effect is still of a stronger character)

    • CommentAuthorNossus
    • CommentTimeDec 15th 2012
     

    The hobbit owned. Anyone who disagrees is a loony

    • CommentAuthorWiseWillow
    • CommentTimeDec 15th 2012 edited
     

    Ok, some weird, weird fleshing out. Azog the Albino Captain Hook? Ehhhhhhh. Stone giants? Ehhhhhh. Bunny sleigh? FUCK YEAH BUNNY SLEIGH HELL YES I WANT ONE.

    EDIT: FOUND A GIF.

  47.  

    Anyone who disagrees is a loony

    Well, I’ll be a loony then. I liked it, but I didn’t think it was an unqualified success.

    • CommentAuthorNossus
    • CommentTimeDec 15th 2012
     

    It’s better than any of the lotr movies (just like the book was better than any of the lotr books)

    I think they could have made a better movie by just sticking with The Hobbit and making it one film though. But anyway it was way better than I thought it would be and they did a good job of capturing the levity of The Hobbit without having it be radicaly different stylistically from the lotr trilogy which was my biggest concern

    •  
      CommentAuthorsansafro187
    • CommentTimeDec 15th 2012 edited
     

    I just got back from The Hobbit and enjoyed it. I thought the framing of the story at the beginning was rather inelegant and bordered on clunky, but once it got rolling, I liked it a lot.

  48.  

    I thought the framing of the story at the beginning was rather inelegant and bordered on clunky

    I thought that starting off with an exposition of the dwarves in Erebor with a battle scene was much, much worse. The story framing actually makes some sense as a connection with LotR- both are very much concerned with the themes of storytelling and how stories are passed on. It could have been done better, but I think the idea was pretty good.

  49.  

    I should’ve worded that better and been more specific. I meant the “Bilbo narrates the Ownage of the Dwarves” part in particular. The stuff with Frodo was fine and I didn’t really mind it.

    •  
      CommentAuthorThea
    • CommentTimeDec 16th 2012
     

    I liked Rise of the Guardians much more than I expected to. Much more imaginative than I’ve seen in a long time (but the back story bothered me, and the villain.)

  50.  

    Rise of the Guardians? F’ yeah!

    and forget the hobbit. Let’s talk about the more important things: TRAILERS!

    Who else got this one?

    Yes, it is one of the supernatural tween flicks… WITH JEREMY IRONS! At LAST we have the Twilight/Eragon crossover we’ve always dreamed!

    (seriously though, we all know the ending, how can you pick any side opposing Jeremy Irons?)

    • CommentAuthorWiseWillow
    • CommentTimeDec 16th 2012
     

    Yep, got that one, wanted to punch it in the face. Everything else was APOCALYPSE! APOCALYPSE! AFTER APOCALYPSE! SHITTY ROM-SCI-FI WAIT THAT’S THAT FUCKING STEPHENIE MEYER BOOK FUCK IT NOT THE HOST.

    Seriously. Pacific Rim (apocalypse via inter-dimensional deep sea creatures, which we fight with mechas), After Earth (in which Will Smith is gritty and Jaden Smith is getting tall and Earth is apparently abandoned and scary now), and Oblivion (in which Tom Cruise, and a conspiracy? ALSO MORGAN FREEMAN.)

    All. In. A. Row. Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

  51.  

    how can you pick any side opposing Jeremy Irons?

    I’ll be Team Jeremy Irons, for sure.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeDec 16th 2012
     

    how can you pick any side opposing Jeremy Irons?

    “I have skills! I can fight!”

  52.  

    I would have to argue on Ratatouille. Linguini was all about Linguini until about half way in the movie. He was devoted to Remy because Remy was his ticket to fame. It wasn’t until later in the movie when they started developing a bond. In that sense, it has a lot in common with Brave.

    Eh…. I’ll grant that you make a good case. But in Raratouille, Linguini at least shows a kind heart at first and is reluctant to kill Remy even before he realizes how useful the rat can be. I think the movie shows two characters starting at a general concern (Remy like people in general, Linguini at least seems to have some affection for all life) becoming a specific concern. (Remy like one person specifically, linguini likewise towards Remy, etc).

    Also, as far as I could see, Toy Story 1 was more about sharing the limelight more than anything else. It really wasn’t Andy’s wishes they were concerned with in the beginning, but his attention. When Woody pushed Buzz out the window, he wasn’t thinking, “This is for Andy”, he was thinking, “This will get Buzz out fo the way so I can be the favorite”. A lot of people claim Toy Story was meant to represent Buzz as a step dad, but I think Buzz is supposed to be a little brother. The person who just comes out of nowhere and suddenly snaps up the attention of everyone else around.

    First, I would like to point out that Woody shows concern for other toys as well. Now from my perspective (but then, this is what makes stories great, they allow many meanings), Toy Story is about a job. Woody takes his work very seriously and is annoyed that when Buzz comes along, not only he does treat the job like a “joke” (from Woody’s perspective, he can’t grasp just how delusional Buzz was), Buzz is “excelling” in spite of his lack of effort. Notice that when the two start really bridging the gap between them is when Buzz finally admits the truth and starts taking his job as a toy with more seriousness. One wonders that if Buzz took his job that seriously from the beginning, if it would have taken as long for him and Woody to become friends.

    While that does make only 5/12 Pixar movies have protagonists who are selfish in the beginning, it does show that this isn’t exactly out of the Pixar equation.

    I don’t think any of those others are still as selfish as Merida. They at least show concerns for things beyond themselves.

    I think there are a lot of factors in Brave that made it feel like a “lesser” movie. One factor was the fact it was aimed at a female audience. Most Pixar films had male protagonists and were more “manly” movies. They were about fighting to protect the damsels of each of their movies or going for glory.

    I disagree for now, but only because I am uncertain as to the definitions of your parameters.

    You also have the aesthetic to worry about. It feels closer to a Dreamsworks style than a Pixar style. Pixar tends to have very non-human looking characters in most of their movies, even in the movies where the characters are humans. Brave was cartoony, but it laced some of the exaggeration they used to go with.
    It came out after Up. It was the sacrificial lamb that that had to follow one of the most tear jerking, heart warming movies ever made. No matter what movie was going to come out after Up, it wasn’t going to be as good.

    Correction: Cars 2 came out after Up, meaning that there was a bit of buffer for Brave. (if anything, after C2, I think people were going to be more disposed towards a positive view of Brave) Also, Brave’s style is more in keeping with Incredibles so it’s not too out of style for them.

    Last of all, they took the slap stick route to their comedy. Where there was a lot of slapstick in most other Pixar films, they usually had more “adult” humor.

    Oh yeah, total agreement there. I think only Cars 2 (with its focus on Mater) was that slapsticky. Hmm… I sense a pattern… ;-) lol

    Seriously. Pacific Rim (apocalypse via inter-dimensional deep sea creatures, which we fight with mechas),

    I don’t care what anyone says, I’m looking forward to it! (but then I’m a Kaiju fan). Just wish it had a better title though. Damn you cloverfield!

    After Earth (in which Will Smith is gritty and Jaden Smith is getting tall and Earth is apparently abandoned and scary now),

    Someone did a sequel to I am Legend?

    and Oblivion (in which Tom Cruise, and a conspiracy? ALSO MORGAN FREEMAN.)

    Went and looked it up. I swear just about every Tom Cruise movie is about the same and I just don’t like him as a hero. (would like to see him act as some villains, though)

    “I have skills! I can fight!”

    We don’t use. Complete sentences.

  53.  

    But Tom Cruise is handsome (to some). It does not matter that his characters are imperfect or shallow. He is handsome.

    “I can fight.” and “I have skills.” are complete sentences. The object of “I can fight” is implicit. Bad guys, monsters, and “people bigger than I” are all possible objects. Other examples of this sort of sentence include: “I will follow”; “Angela should come”; and “Tell me.” “Tell me” is an example of an implied indirect object, and the subject is an implied second person singular or second person plural.

    “skills” is the object of the sentence “I have skills”. “Skills” is a plural noun. A definite article might be useful here, but is not necessary. Other examples of this sort of sentence include: “I have cigarettes”; “Harriet eats tomato sandwiches”; and “You killed my dog.”

    I just saw Dial M For Murder. Ray Milland and Grace Kelly are sublime. Ray Milland is married to Grace Kelly (the lucky dog), but wants to kill her because she is sleeping with Robert Cummings. Grace Kelly survives and stabs the assassin with scissors. Then everything gets complicated while Ray Milland scrambles to keep his hands clean but still get rid of his wife.

  54.  

    Dial M For Murder is a lot of fun.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeDec 18th 2012 edited
     

    “I have skills” comment = subtle dig about picking sides against Jeremy Irons.

    Joke was, one of the ‘sides’ opposing Irons, at least for a scene, was Eragon during the training sequence. Scene in question is here.