Movie Recommendations

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Mindy

I saw Avatar last night (in 3D). Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Not exactly original, but so well put together (and absolutely stunning) that you can overlook that.

.....

Going to see it today.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by Javed

I watched the entire youtube clip you posted. It was amazing how he first got everyone dancing and then how he got up to conduct. When he first started I thought the musicians weren't going to respond to him. Au contraire, not only did they respond but the entire audience and the entire psych ward went crazy (not sure if they were already crazy). I will definitely be seeing this soon. (I have a copy of it now )

You are in for a real treat!

[markbot]

I saw Avatar also...here is my review. minor spoilers, but nothing you haven't seen in the trailer which contains 95% of the plot.

The evil American Corporate Empire strikes again, this time in James Cameron's delusions. Don't get too close to Cameron as you might catch White Man's Guilt syndrome.

Here's a plot hole. If we are so advanced that we can transfer our consciousness to new genetically engineered species and colonize planets light years away (and thus can travel near the speed of light), I'm pretty sure we'd be able to figure out how to replant a forest on Earth and money would no longer exist since resources would be virtually unlimited. We would in effect be gods.

We would be able to reconstruct chemical compounds with our virtually unlimited energy and would have no need for mining gold/oil/space rocks on Pandora. Furthermore, if we were this sophisticated, then surely a bunch of stone arrows would not be able to defeat our intergalactic spaceships. If we really needed these rocks then the human heroes/traitors of this film are in fact committing human species wide genocide because a bunch of natives don't feel like moving a few miles.

Hypothetically, let's say they defeat our ground forces, we can still annihilate them from orbit. Alternatively, why not release a toxin genetically engineered to disable the Navi and then transport them somewhere else. No killing! We could also probably figure out how to regrow the big tree.

Avatar (aka, Dance's with Smurfs) is a parable of the conquest of the Americas--a sci-fi fantasy retelling of the story of Pocahontas--except that the Natives win this time. The irony of Cameron's folly, Avatar, is that only in the world of Avatar is there a god to justify the righteousness of the natives in their claim over their sacred land...if not for this righteousness then out of respect for the mythical "Balance". Since these are fake concepts of ignorant fools, I see no reason why we shouldn't take the damn rocks. Although, the annoying thing is that in this ultra technologically advanced future we would have no need for these rocks in the first place. So, the enemy/conflict in this film is a straw-man.

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by markbot

Avatar (aka, Dance's with Smurfs)...

I've also heard it referred to as Smurfahontas.

[Moejoe]

I walked out of Avatar after one hour. It was the worst acted, worst directed piece of nonsense I've ever begun to watch (and I've seen every Stephen Segal movie all the way through). Cliched storyline, terrible CGI that looks dated already, and just....unobtainium...unobtainium...!!! If this toy-advert is what is supposed to change the whole movie industry around then Atheismo help the movie industry.

[markbot]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

I walked out of Avatar after one hour. It was the worst acted, worst directed piece of nonsense I've ever begun to watch (and I've seen every Stephen Segal movie all the way through). Cliched storyline, terrible CGI that looks dated already, and just....unobtainium...unobtainium...!!! If this toy-advert is what is supposed to change the whole movie industry around then Atheismo help the movie industry.

I hope the future of cinema is not paper thin derivative drivel in CGI. At some level I think Cameron is actually mocking us all. He is showing us how stupid we really are by puppeting these crude caricatures. SEE! This is you! haha. like in blackface.

[Javed]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Man Facing Southeast (Argentina, 1986) was one of the best sci-fi films I've seen. It touches all the bases -- religion, philosophy, speculative science, and psychology. The scene where the mental patient Rantés interrupts a concert to take over the maestro's duties to conduct Beethoven's Ninth is unforgettable.

I just finished watching Man Facing Southeast, based on Tom's recommendation. It is about a man from another planet in a psychiatric hospital.

I also think this is an excellent movie and can now recommend it too. Totally had me drawn into the story the whole way through to the end. The movie gradually reveals much about the doctor and his inner thoughts, fears and limitations. Who is Rantes? The doctor becomes obsessed to understand Rantes (the main character); going so far as to admit to himself that it is his lifes main objective. Rantes has a magnetic force to those around him.

"He comes from far away. He is a good man"

[mores]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

I walked out of Avatar after one hour. It was the worst acted, worst directed piece of nonsense I've ever begun to watch (and I've seen every Stephen Segal movie all the way through). Cliched storyline, terrible CGI that looks dated already, and just....unobtainium...unobtainium...!!! If this toy-advert is what is supposed to change the whole movie industry around then Atheismo help the movie industry.

It's interesting to see how amateur film critics always pick the season's highlights to really show off how much they despise hollywood and its movies.
I don't know a lot about what makes great movies, and some of the world's top rated films did not impress me. But Avatar was, at least in my humble opinion, the greatest film I have watched in a long, long time.
Of course it features CG extravaganza, but it does not forget a decent story behind it all. I don't know why you say the "acting" was bad; there was not much acting going on anyways, but one thing I know is that it was not bad. Maybe you should re-watch your Stephen Seagal movies to refresh your memory of how bad acting really looks.
And as to "worst directed" ... care to explain that one? On second thought, don't, it wouldn't make sense because you only saw about a third of it.
The movie never let up, never rushed, was riveting from the first minute to the last.

As to unobtainium ... that was something I wanted to research. I suspect some kind of a marketing scheme by oakley. And I think it's funny. (In case you don't know, they use unobtainium excessively )

I can just roll my eyes at "critics" like you. I know a number of people who like to jump on every anti-something bandwaggon there is, and they behave just like you. I suggest you forget going to cinemas, you will be dissapointed no matter what you watch. Better wait for those DVDs of indie films, french films, even german films that only people watch who want to prove they don't appreciate anything coming from Hollywood.

Sorry for venting ... stuff like that just gets to me!

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by mores

It's interesting to see how amateur film critics always pick the season's highlights to really show off how much they despise hollywood and its movies.
I don't know a lot about what makes great movies, and some of the world's top rated films did not impress me. But Avatar was, at least in my humble opinion, the greatest film I have watched in a long, long time.
Of course it features CG extravaganza, but it does not forget a decent story behind it all. I don't know why you say the "acting" was bad; there was not much acting going on anyways, but one thing I know is that it was not bad. Maybe you should re-watch your Stephen Seagal movies to refresh your memory of how bad acting really looks.
And as to "worst directed" ... care to explain that one? On second thought, don't, it wouldn't make sense because you only saw about a third of it.
The movie never let up, never rushed, was riveting from the first minute to the last.

As to unobtainium ... that was something I wanted to research. I suspect some kind of a marketing scheme by oakley. And I think it's funny. (In case you don't know, they use unobtainium excessively )

I can just roll my eyes at "critics" like you. I know a number of people who like to jump on every anti-something bandwaggon there is, and they behave just like you. I suggest you forget going to cinemas, you will be dissapointed no matter what you watch. Better wait for those DVDs of indie films, french films, even german films that only people watch who want to prove they don't appreciate anything coming from Hollywood.

Sorry for venting ... stuff like that just gets to me!

I love Hollywood movies so go make your assumptions some place else. And I really love Cameron's Terminator, Aliens and the Abyss, so it's not like I'm not versed in Cameron's work (I started liking him for his matte painting work on Escape from New York). This movie could have been made on Mars by the Galgamecks and it would still be goddawful. The pacing and acting in the first hour is way off, stilted, and the dialogue is cliched to hell and back - not that Cameron was ever a decent scriptwriter to begin wtih, Gale Anne Hurd was the good half of the combination when they were a partnership. Half of the shots could have come from Aliens, the whole waking up from stasis is a direct repeat. The CGI didn't impress at all (even with 3D glasses). I did not feel immersed, I felt like I was watching a cartoon or an extended cutscene from a game. And yes, you don't need much more than an hour of any film to see if it's well paced or worth watching. If you do, then you're either indecisive, don't know what you like or are just plain stupid.

Oh, and if you want to call someone out on their likes and dislikes, be sure you actually know what they like and dislike before spouting off your 'amateur' psycho-babble and character deconstruction.

My ignore list grows longer every day.

Currently re-watching the Hollywood film (which he loves the most) Die Hard.

*rolls his eyes at forum halfwits who think they know what they're talking about*

[vivaldirules]

I personally happen to love "foreign" films, films that make me think, films where the theme and the acting are infinitely more important than the visuals. I hate large, loud, media-hyped movies that look like they were created by an eight year-old in an adult body. So I guess you can put me in that category of those whom you roll your eyes at. I'd love to understand why people think the other way about films. There are a lot of you and I honestly just don't understand it. But all I usually hear is something like "I loved it!" which isn't very helpful.

I also love people expressing opinions - clearly expressing opinions that are inoffensive. But you decided not to do that, mores, and I find that typical and sad and I roll my eyes at you.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

...

My ignore list grows longer every day.
...

Great! More people to join the party we're having on Moejoe's ignore list!

Whoop! Whoop!

[tsgreer]

Originally Posted by mores

...But Avatar was, at least in my humble opinion, the greatest film I have watched in a long, long time....!

i have to agree. I saw Avatar and I was blown away. I mean, the cgi in the close ups looked sooo real. Nothing new in the story, but i thought it was put together very well. I loved it. Best move I have seen in recent memory. One of the few that I will see again in the theater.

[kennyc]

Just got the report from my son on the Imax 3D version. He says it was much better than the "regular" 3D particularly the flying scenes....

Enjoy!

[mores]

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

I also love people expressing opinions - clearly expressing opinions that are inoffensive. But you decided not to do that, mores, and I find that typical and sad and I roll my eyes at you.

Can't reply to MoeJoe since he ignored me so I'll take up this bit ... it's all a matter of how it's put. Like I mentioned, I did not like LOTR, but since the whole world was thrilled, the reviews were great and various critics attested that this was a phenomenal film, I would not be so bold and say "The movie sucks, I had to leave" (I did go on an extended pee break) since clearly, my experience of the whole thing was different to the rest of the world. I need to put myself in perspective, not claim that my views are valid for everyone. But Moejoe, just like my amateur anti-everything critic friends (and yes, they are still friends despite their flaws ) state their opinions as facts with everyone else being wrong. And that just irks me.

Also, I realize I did go a bit overboard and became overly offensive (which I didn't notice while writing) and I'd like to apologize for that.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by mores

.... I need to put myself in perspective, not claim that my views are valid for everyone. But Moejoe, just like my amateur anti-everything critic friends ... state their opinions as facts with everyone else being wrong. And that just irks me.

.

There is a certain set of people that do this and forums and the internet bring them out even stronger than IRL (in real life). These people annoy me to no end as well. And it's not just you and me mores.