Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 30, 2016 - 11:21pm PT
|
This:
'Memo from Turner'.
Anybody got a good link to a live version of this?
DAMN. F*#king great lyrics.
Come now, gentleman
Your love is all I crave
You'll still be in the circus when I'm laughing
Laughing in my grave
|
|
Byran
climber
Half Dome Village
|
|
I recently finished a year and a half long stint of work up in Yosemite, and I think I only watched two films in that time. Now that I'm back down in the city and have a lot of free time I've been doing a lot of catching up. Here are my thoughts on the last 8 films I've watched, all of which were released either this year or last. Roughly ordered from best to worst. I have a BA in Film Studies, so you know you can trust my judgement.
Ex Machina (5/5)
A beautifully done scifi thriller. Great characters and acting. A story that keeps you guessing. It could have been a bit more subtle in some regards - at times if feels like you're being beaten over the head with it's philosophical messages. But overall a wonderful film. They even managed to keep the runtime down to 1h45, which is exceedingly rare these days.
Mad Max: Fury Road (5/5)
Awesome action scenes and absolutely gorgeous visual effects. A straightforward plot that actually makes sense. Well developed characters with clearly defined motives. This is really the whole package. Probably the best action film to come out of Hollywood since 2013's "Riddick". This should be held up as the archetype of how to correctly do a big budget summer blockbuster.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (3/5)
I liked the new characters and actors, and for the most part the film is enjoyable. However it really gets bogged down with fan-service and pandering to nostalgia. All the stuff with Solo, Chewbacca, Leia, C3PO, Luke, et al, just gets in the way of moving the story forward and developing the new characters. And about that story, it's dumb. Mainly the characters just chase some mcguffin around, and then there's a Death Star randomly thrown in there so we can have a big battle at the end.
The Revnant (2/5)
Beautiful at times, boring at others. A cliche wild-west revenge plot without any likable characters makes it hard to stay interested. Not a terrible film, but definitely uninspired "Oscar bait". Maybe it's because I spend a lot of time enjoying nature first-hand, so sitting down for 156 minutes of trees swaying in the wind doesn't really do it for me.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2/5)
Mindless superhero action movie. Slightly better than the first Avengers. If all you want is colorful CGI action scenes, then it will entertain.
Batman vs Superman (2/5)
This is basically Avengers but it takes itself way, way too seriously. The whole middle of the film is super boring. Character motives are paper thin. The plot is stupid. Jesse Eisenberg apparently didn't get the memo that he was cast as Lex Luthor, and played the Joker instead. It picks up at the end with some enjoyable action scenes, mainly Batman going on a rescue mission and then the big 3 vs 1 grand finale. Hans Zimmer's music is great.
Zoolander 2 (1/5)
The original Zoolander is one of my all-time favorite comedy films so I was looking forward to this. However, No. 2 is just a shitty rip-off of the first one which brings nothing new. Most of the jokes and gags are straight-up lifted from the original film. You can see all the best material by just watching the trailer.
Spectre (1/5) The Daniel Craig films have been really hit or miss. Casino Royal and Skyfall are two of the best in the James Bond series (I've seen 25 of them, and would put both those in the top 5), while Quantum of Solace and Spectre are a couple of the worst. A totally nonsensical plot that tries to hide it's absurdity under a layer of convolution and obscurity. All of the worst Bond cliches are present. You could have the exact same scenes, and with just a slight shift of tone it would be an Austin Powers film. Oh, the main girl has suddenly decided that she can't be sucked back into the world of espionage and assassins, so she is saying her goodbyes and leaving. Yeah, I'm sure that's the last we'll see of her then. No way she'll be captured by the villain and need to be rescued by Bond in the final climax...
|
|
apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 6, 2016 - 10:05pm PT
|
GREAT compilation of 'Memo' variations, Ed.
|
|
perswig
climber
|
|
Mar Adentro. Just watched it again; the story and J. Bardem's acting are so compelling that it's easy to miss the color and cinematography.
Dale
|
|
zBrown
Ice climber
|
|
Freaks
Blow-up
End of August at the Hotel Ozone
(Ozone - not great more of a nostalgia thing)
My suspicion is that folks see clips from Freaks, but don't watch it from start to finish
|
|
crankster
Trad climber
No. Tahoe
|
|
Antonioni's best, z. Check out "The Passenger" if you can find it. And Freaks....wow, I think I saw it 5-6 times, the last about 30 years ago.
|
|
Gary
Social climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
|
|
In the Shadow of the Moon is a documentary on Netflix. Watch it! They interview all of the surviving Apollo astronauts.
These guys are individuals, for sure, but all have been affected by seeing Earth from the Moon. Really liked Alan Bean and Michael Collins. All of them are special people.
|
|
apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 14, 2016 - 10:17pm PT
|
Just watched 'Ex Machina'
Very good!
Evocative and thought provoking of the development of AI, and the interactions with humans along the way. The outdoor background scenery is gorgeous.
Would definitely watch it again.
|
|
skitch
Gym climber
Bend Or
|
|
|
Oct 16, 2016 - 09:08am PT
|
Best movie of 2016???? Easily: Hell Or High Water
It's a modern day Texas cowboy/bank robber/brotherhood movie. Score was done by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis. The soundtrack is incredible if you like the alt-country music. It's currently getting 8.2/10 on IMDB, and 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.
There's a new kid country singer, Colter Wall, that has a really great song on the movie, he's 20-something years old and has a deeper voice than Johnny Cash.
|
|
Edge
Trad climber
Betwixt and Between Nederland & Boulder, CO
|
|
|
Oct 16, 2016 - 04:43pm PT
|
Zardoz, my wife and I just watched the first two Westworld episodes last night. I agree that it is very well done and thought provoking; looking forward to future episodes during the long wait for Game of Thrones to resume.
|
|
rurprider
Trad climber
Mt. Rubidoux
|
|
|
Oct 16, 2016 - 08:02pm PT
|
SULLY...4 starts. Tom Hanks was great. Pilot kicked the NTSB's ass.
|
|
rockermike
Trad climber
Berkeley
|
|
|
Oct 17, 2016 - 08:40am PT
|
"37 Days". About the run-up to World War I. Actually a BBC miniseries.. but comes on one disc from the library. A bit of a pro-brit bias but really well done. I'd give it 4 out of 5...if you're into serious stuff.
Apropos for todays international tensions.
|
|
Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
|
|
|
Oct 17, 2016 - 09:26am PT
|
Something called "Valley Uprising" about a bunch of Beatniks and hippies. Pretty darn good.
Even the wife liked it!
The wife then picked "Holding The Man", a true story about two gay Aussie men. Gotta say it
might make my Top 20 list. Extremely well acted and directed.
|
|
Gary
Social climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
|
|
|
Nov 19, 2016 - 07:18am PT
|
Last night at the Norton Simon museum: Elevator to the Gallows with score by Miles Davis.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!