Seen any good films lately? [3]

I forgot all about Ex Maxchina- I remember the trailer and thinking it looked pretty damn interesting.
Thansk for the reminder Eldo, one to go find.

What films should be expanded into shared universes?

Read more: http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/shared-universes/35403/what-films-should-be-expanded-into-shared-universes#ixzz3aHnh6hHr

Anything but LotR's and more PJ! (and Who- dont want to see it there either)

How 'bout less franchises?

Yeah, no. That article is the worst kind of fanboyism. Name recognition and familiarity-based pandering over narrative quality or storytelling integrity. The MCU hasn't exactly turned into a shining example of the latter, and wanting to "be back in Middle-earth" for as long as possible, regardless of what was necessary to tell the story, was one of the problems with The Hobbit trilogy.

I watched Mad Max Fury Road yesterday, I wasn't a big fan of the first three, and the new one is very much a high octane update, so if you know what to expect you certainly won't be dissapointed.

The Good:

-Fantastic action sequences and cinematography Easily some of the best shot car chases I've seen, and for a film set entirely in the desert, its rarely visually dull.

-Very little CGI and excellent use of practical effects, the explosions look and feel completely real, the cars and dust sell the environment really well, though some occasionally wonky 'look at me' pandering to 3d shots ruin the illusion a little.

-Very well paced, it's a lean, simple 2 hours not bogged down with meandering subplots or filler

-Great score

-Never takes itself too seriously, there is some obvious feminist commentary in the film, but it never feels like it's trying to hard to present a message


The Bad

-Obviously you don't really look for depth in a Mad Max film, but the plot and characterization were flimsy at best, it's a two hour car chase, occasionally interspersed by some awkward barely flashbacks and mumbled one liners, the Villains though hilariously odd looking, don't have alot to do other than grunt and drive obscenely large cars, the ending action scene felt slightly too long as well.

-Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron are both great, but Max is sidelined in his own film, and still remains a bit of a mysterious cypher at the end, Nicholas Hoult didn't work for me as the crazy Nux, annoying and over the top rather than intimadating

-Very little backstory, and limited wordbuilding-the production design is great so it makes the limited glimpses more annoying

-The script was written around the action sequences, and it shows in both good and bad ways.

-I had great fun watching the film, and its definitely one of the best looking action films of recent years, but I left the film feeling a little...empty, very fun and great to look at, but I didn't find the film to be a classic...

7/10

Was it made by Australians? I think that was key to the off kilter feeling of the originals. There's memorable touches throughout ('dinky-dee', anyone?) that make up for the plot and character holes.

halfwise wrote:Was it made by Australians?  I think that was key to the off kilter feeling of the originals.  There's memorable touches throughout ('dinky-dee', anyone?) that make up for the plot and character holes.

Yeah, its' the same director as the originals and most of the cast/crew seemed to be Australian (though the one was filmed in Nambia) tonally it seems to be much the same as the first trilogy.

I've heard really good things about the new Mad Max but I feel like I should take the opportunity to finally see the originals (or at least Road Warrior) first, since I've also heard such good things about them.

Yeah, I feel dirty going in to this remakey-thing without having first seen the originals.

I saw Mad Max as well, just a few hours ago. I hadn't seen any of the original movies, and I hadn't seen any of the trailers for this one. Just saw it on a whim with my brother. I really liked it, lots of good action. The effects were great, music was good.

Like Malick said, very little characterization. But what can you expect, this is an action movie first. The action is great, a lot of fun. The visuals are fantastic, good practical effects. The sequence in the gigantic sandstorm was my favorite.

What I didn't like: this movie is biggest sinner when it comes to the orange and cyan problem in Hollywood. The "night-time" scenes are just plastered with blue color grade which is difficult to look at and slightly annoying. I also couldn't understand a word of what that the main villain said, it was like Bain on steroids.

These are my initial impressions upon just seeing it. Had a lot of fun, a good use of two hours, and I'd definitely see it again. Might check out the originals too.

Edit: Oh, yes the score was great too! As with most modern action films it's mainly driving percussion and low brass, but there are a lot of nice lyrical moments for strings. What I felt was out of place was the random use of the Dies Irae from Verdi's requiem. Kind of took me out of the moment. But it's really brief so it didn't totally ruin the sequence for me.

Ironically enough the most recent Bane actor is the protagonist.

Yeah, and I swear Tom Hardy slipped into his Bane voice at least once. Barely noticeable, but I'm positive it was there.

I just watched a trailer for Fury Road, and I'm glad I didn't before seeing the movie. Would have spoiled some of the visuals and surprises. Plus it gives away the whole plot, the plot being very thin as it is.

Eldorion wrote:I've heard really good things about the new Mad Max but I feel like I should take the opportunity to finally see the originals (or at least Road Warrior) first, since I've also heard such good things about them.

The first Mad Max is totally different from what followed and not as memorable; I think your plan of watching Road Warrior if nothing else is a good one.

what is it with Orange /Cyan anyway? its horrible.

halfwise wrote:The first Mad Max is totally different from what followed and not as memorable; I think your plan of watching Road Warrior if nothing else is a good one.

Cheers, Halfy.  I'll probably give that a try then.

I thought this guy was actually pretty inventive for a youtube parodist, excerpts from John Carpenter's The Thing (one of my top ten), reworked as a broadway musical (warning, gory effects and swearing):

Eldorion wrote:it was nice to see that Domnhall Gleeson can act well too when he's given a chance (which he didn't really get in Deathly Hallows).  

I feel a little bad knowing Domnhall Gleeson mostly for Harry Potter (I never really understood why they bothered casting Bill...he has about 10-15 minutes screentime, and since they basically skipped his romance stuff with Fleur, they could have substituted the wedding for Lupin and Tonk's...) Dredd and True Grit, all small but quirky roles that didn't really give him much to work with, but I remember being impressed by him in:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1692945/

He definitely comes across as a having the markings of a talented character actor though (still think he's playing Luke son in S.W VII...), I guess his father gave him a few pointers...

I tried watching Drive, but gave up after about twenty minutes, just found it pretentious and dull...

Agreed about DH2.  Bill and Fleur there were almost as perfunctory and meaningless as PJ's Beorn.  Almost.

malickfan wrote:I tried watching Drive, but gave up after about twenty minutes, just found it pretentious and dull...

I can understand the dull complaint RE: Drive (it's oddly paced and not a ton happens after the opening chase), but if you don't mind me asking, what did you find pretentious about it?  I thought it had a pretty schlocky premise.  I suppose the sparse dialogue and long periods of people staring at each other can be a little impenetrable on first watch, but I actually love that because it shocked me out of my post-Tarantino phase of fetishizing the script above all other aspects of cinematic storytelling (which says far more about me at that age than it does about Tarantino's work, of course).

malickfan wrote:I thought this guy was actually pretty inventive for a youtube parodist, excerpts from John Carpenter's The Thing (one of my top ten),  reworked as a broadway musical (warning, gory effects and swearing):

That was great ! laughed my head off ! you got blood & guts set against that guys smooth Frank Sinatra style voice

Oh my god.



I don't feel so bad for having skipped out on an original sci-fi film now.

I just got back from Mad Max: Fury Road.

Oh my!

Is that a good Oh My! Or a sarcastic Oh My! Or a George Takei Oh MY?

Haha, well not the last one.
It is a good Oh my!

I loved the action, I loved Max, I loved the Australian-ness of the vocabulary and character names. The introductory scene of the film is perfect, with a beautiful shot of Max's car being flipped several times by an explosion that the camera captures in its grinding metal glory and which comes closer and closer to the camera with no obvious digital manipulations. It's these kinds of shots, the ones that rely on physical stunts, that give it an authentic and believable feel. Well that and the fact that it's set in Australia, and who knows what they'd get up to post-apocalypse, stranded on their giant dusty island.

The first half, in particular, of this film is absolutely great. The second half, I feel, suffers from this effect that you encounter in sci-fi and fantasy films when a world which at first appears nearly infinitely varied in its scope and unique characterizations begins to shrink before your eyes into a familiar and predictable series of movie tropes. There are the good guys, and the bad guys. There is the one location, and there is the other.

You stop seeing new things, because the filmmakers don't want to introduce new confusing things during the final act, and if the charm and excitement of the film is based upon seeing unpredictable psychotic new elements, than it takes away from the experience. Things settle into a familiar and unexciting rhythm, and the magic of the first half is lost.

The movie is still good after all that, and there is always the ending, but I definitely felt a loss of momentum once

Spoiler:

I would recommend seeing this movie. This isn't a plot spoiler, but if you prefer to have all your movie scenes unspoiled than don't read. My favourite scene was when

Spoiler:

These fanatics had this fascination for chrome and shiny things that was laughably manic, but at the same time their actions were believable in the context of misguided and brainwashed youth in a future without hope in this life.