I’ll take ‘Animated action scenes from the films’ for 500 dollars.
There’s an article that says it’ll feature new content as well, in what form I don’t know. But for the most part you’re obviously right.
Not entirely sure what this will be but the art style is very cool:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wsHRyLWgWg
Widows (2018) - More than your typical heist film, more like a crime epic. All around great performances and hard edged direction from McQueen pull off the job here easily. And yet, greatness seems to be in reach but just barely missed. There are a lot of subplots which add depth and texture to the characters and the world, but the payoffs make one question why so much time was spent in different areas. I feel like this film either needed to be a lot longer, or trimmed a bit shorter. Either way, like I said, it works. B+
Amelie (2001) - I always appreciate a film with an aggressively specific and unique sense of style. However, there’s always a risk there. With this, the film’s quirkiness oscillates between enjoyable and somewhat grating. Thankfully, moreso the former. B
Sabrina (1995) - While I appreciate the classy/classic approach this film took, it does beg the question of why it even needed to be made if was barely modernizing the story in its retelling of the 50s original. There’s nothing bad here, and it all pretty pleasantly told, but it’s just kinda whatever in comparison when the biggest reason why the original is a must-watch is missing (Hepburn, naturally). B-
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindewald (2018) - As if doubling-down on the worst aspects of its predecessor - pointless world-building, excessive sequel set-up - weren’t enough, Rowling and co. have also added all new problems - over-abundance of inconsequential characters, inert motivations, complete lack of forward momentum, etc. Honestly it would be a lot easier for me to list everything that isn’t wrong with this movie… uh there’s, well… maybe “easy” was the wrong word to use. In all seriousness, the visuals are nice, even if the cinematographic look applied makes everything seem drab and lifeless. I’ll also say that most of the actors seem to be trying their best, which I guess is all you could ask for. D
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) - As much as I love the Coen brothers, I’ve always felt like I clicked more with their dramas than their straight comedies, so while I was excited for this, think it’d be the latter I didn’t know how much I’d like it. Turns out it’s much more in the vein of my favorite Coen work - primarily dramatic but with a strong sense of dark humor (though ironically my favorite chapter is the most comedic). Here they present their own idiosyncratic take on How the West Was Won, with all the amusing misanthropy one has come to expect from them. Gorgeous vistas (courtesy of the reliable Bruno Delbonnel) and wonderful performances abound, and while not every chapter is as easily enjoyable as the next, they all serve to paint the Coen’s horrifying (yet oddly beautiful) portrait of the wild west. B+
Green Book (2018) - A story about an endlessly interesting man, almost completely squandered by focusing the perspective on his driver, who’s essentially just a cartoon character. There’s potential for something really compelling here, examining the intersections between race, class, and culture, but the filmmakers have decided to portray things in the most pedestrian and inoffensive way possible. C+
Othello (1951) - I’ve never read Othello, and while Shakespeare tends to be better understood by watching it performed, that might not be the case with this film, where one must keep up with Welles flying through the narrative almost as quickly as his actors tear through the dialogue. Still, Welles’s dynamic, ahead-of-its-time style is a always exciting to watch. B
Naqoyqatsi (2002) - Starts strong but ultimately fails to live up to its predecessors, primarily due to its reliance on CGI and stock footage. Whereas Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqqatsi were able to present the world from a different perspective with their original footage, Reggio has to use editing and post processing techniques to make his point, which is far less successful. Yo Yo Ma is a fine addition to the soundtrack, but on the whole, Glass’s music is far less hypnotic than is necessary for this film to completely work. B-
How might it be possible to cut down the fight on Mustafar? The whole lava river thing especially is just so ridiculously over the top.
The swinging around + lava waterfall is easily the stupidest part. If anyone has any ideas to excise that (without cutting away to Yoda/Palps) I’d love to hear.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? - A film that accomplishes an impressive balancing act, tackling a rather sad and depressing story for drama without ever becoming depressive, all while mining the absurdities of that story for humor without ever becoming comedic. McCarthy and Grant are fantastic. B+
Suspiria (1977) - I liked this movie so much it made me angry that I’d never seen any Argento films. The mix of music, color, and movement is absolutely hypnotic. A-
Suspiria (2018) - If you’re expecting it to be the same as the ‘77 original, you’ll be disappointed, but if you’re expecting it to be the same, why even watch? There are some similarities of course, the basic premise, but also the beautiful (witches’) brew of spellbinding cinematic viscera. How this is accomplish marks one of the bigger differences, though - many have pointed out the striking difference in use of color (though I’d argue Guadagnino’s approach is just as distinct in that regard as Argento’s but in a different way), and the larger focus on the dancing. Ultimately, however, the biggest discrepancy is that of scope. Argento’s film is a nightmare fairy tale, while Guadagnino’s is a nightmare epic. Guadagnino not only gives more space to the supernatural mythology, but also brings in a larger political element. The effectiveness of the latter is up for debate (I go back and forth), but the thematic purpose it serves justifies it, at least in my mind. This isn’t merely a horror film about surviving a dance academy that’s secretly a coven of deadly witches, it’s a real drama about punishment, guilt, and dealing with oppression. Will everything make sense after a first viewing? Almost certainly not. But the good news is the film will crawl into your brain, and remain there until you can’t help but go back for more. A
Outlaw King (2018) - I’m not sure if I fully understand where things went wrong here, it seems like everything was in place for a great film - talent behind and in front of the camera, with a gripping story to tell - and yet this is definitely not that. This feels very much like going through the motions of what this kind of film should be, except they skipped all the parts where they make me care about what’s going on. Still, it’s pretty, and the action’s good, and you can’t not love Chris Pine. C+
Boy Erased (2018) - A powerful story, told in a way that wisely avoids sensationalizing, which makes the most dramatic moments all the more effective. Still, while everything here is competent and compelling, it feels there’s something missing. The final portion of the film makes everything about Hedges’s character’s relationship with his parents, and yet for the rest of the film this thread feels like a subplot at best. Could’ve done with more of that, but in the grander scheme of things I must say I’m glad stories like these are being told. B
Overlord (2018) - I didn’t go in expecting all that much, but this film grabs you right away in throws you into what works surprisingly well as a legitimately serious and dark war movie, with the bonus of a little sci-fi horror thrown in later. Honestly my biggest complaint is, as much as I enjoy Bad Robot’s high production value B-movie style when it comes to the more outlandish elements here, it’s sort of clashing with the actual straight-faced horror of the Nazis and their war. That said, the stakes feel very high throughout, and the action hits hard. Truthfully, there isn’t much more you could want from a movie like this. B+
Police Story (1985) - Jackie Chan movies are something of a blindspot for me that I’ve been slowly trying to remedy. I have to say though, after this one, I’ll probably speed that process up considerably. B+
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) - When it comes to cinematic blindspots, Miyazaki is probably my most glaring. And yet, I can’t help but be thankful for that, when I see a film like this (an instant favorite) and knowing there’s more like it to come in the rest of his filmography. A
OVERLORD (2018)
Intense, visceral, well paced. Best Bad Robot production since 10 Cloverfield Lane.
Mission: Impossible - Fallout would like a word (can confirm though Overlord is fucking rad).
Anyone expecting K2 to be a regular is forgetting how much it costs to realize that character.
Can’t say I’m terribly surprised, more shows was a certainty and this is probably one of the more obvious premises to do for this format considering a lot of factors.
As for people being disappointed about the lack of Jedi, I certainly think it’s possible they’re making them sort of exclusive to the movies.
That’s what I just said. 😉
Figured but still worth reiterating with specifity.
Baffling complaint of the original film: Wedge is played by two actors.
I think the casting of The Fog remake speaks for itself. 😉
I try and I try to forget …
One of the worst movies I’ve ever seen.
I do not understand how team Carpenter in any way thought Tom Atkins was a good fit for hot romantic lead opposite a twentysomething (in both that and The Fog).
Because Carpenter goes against the grain and doesn’t cast actors the way studio heads think he should? Who else would have cast Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken? (Or Elvis for that matter.) He was still thought of as that wacky teenager from Disney comedies at the time.
I think the casting of The Fog remake speaks for itself. 😉
There’s going against what the studios would do, and then there’s going against what any reasonable person would do.
I do not understand how team Carpenter in any way thought Tom Atkins was a good fit for hot romantic lead opposite a twentysomething (in both that and The Fog).
The question is it like arresting them for being a member of Al-Qaeda, or more like arresting them for being Muslim?
He’s arrested for being the Sith, not a Sith, as in, the Sith they’ve been looking for who has been waging a war against them.
Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (2009) - A slight but enjoyable slice of early Chazelle operating mostly in a documentary style quite different than what I’m used to from him. Nothing special, but good. B-
First Man (2018) - Interestingly returns to the verite style of Chazelle’s first feature, to great effect. More than anything, this is a study of a great yet inscrutable man’s psychology, and thusly the film takes on a seemingly inscrutable approach to it’s own storytelling. We get what are truly something like glimpses of human moments, here and there throughout Armstrong’s life. Small things, but powerful; and all of them of course mixed in with some of the most intense and nerve wracking flight sequences ever put on film. The result is a fusion that feels equal parts chaotic and orderly, intense and quiet. A unique blend that, for me, works perfectly. Most biopics seem content with artificially and superficially touching on big melodramatic scenes to try to make you emotional. First Man actually wants you to come to experience such moments naturally. Mission accomplished. A
Child’s Play (1988) - An amusing twist on the slasher formula. Silly, but seems to be fully aware of that fact. B
Friday the 13th Part III (1982) - Despite finally giving Jason his mask and a few good kills, this falls squarely into the trashy cliched slasher category. Gotta love those 3D motivated shots (especially ridiculous when not viewed in 3D). C-
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) - Certainly a cut above III though for me that’s not saying much. Characters are a bit more interesting here and that’s really all you can say. C
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) - Besides some questionable elements (including one of the worst romances I have ever seen on film), this is a delightfully twisted and unsettling tale. Wouldn’t call it one of the best ever horror films by any means, but it has a couple sequences that I’d put pretty high up there. B-
Island of Lost Souls (1932) - A film that seems to be quite ahead of its time in a few respects, with a fantastic performance from Charles Laughton (picking up the slack from the film’s ostensible lead, Richard Arlen). B+
Apostle (2018) - A solid new entry in the “guy gets trapped in island cult and things do not exactly go well” canon. If you’re looking something brutal and harrowing, this is it. B
Christine (1983) - A kooky fun picture about a relationship that becomes obsessive and then violent. Of course, that relationship is with a car. B-
Cabin in the Woods (2012) - For the longest time I thought there was a twist in this that was spoiled to me, but turns out the movie adds its unique, meta layers pretty early on. Better comedy than horror. B
Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) - I’m always down for a good slow burn thriller, but sometimes I feel like filmmakers can forget that the slowness is not just for the sake of it. Other than that, this is a very decent suspense pic. B
Black Christmas (1974) - Speaking of suspense pics, this might be one of the best I’ve seen in recent memory. Takes the Hitchcockian school of thought on tension-filled dramatic irony to incredibly - almost suffocatingly - anxious lengths. A-
The Fog (1980) - Up there with the best films that know how to create an intense and immense, overbearing atmosphere. There’s some exposition that cuts the suspense, and the climax has some missed opportunities, but that doesn’t stop this from being some classic horror storytelling. B+
Eyes Without a Face - A horrific film with a surprising streak of dark humor. Makes for a very interesting and highly watchable mix, even as we occasionally witness faces being surgically removed. B+
Halloween (2018) - A sequel that understands what truly makes it’s central villain menacing, and doesn’t take its female protagonists for granted. As one might suspect from Green and McBride, there’s a good dose of humor, but for the most part this is a dark and unrelenting picture that also somehow never stops being anything but completely entertaining. B+
Halloween II (1981) - I’d seen most of this before and didn’t think too poorly of it, though seeing it in full now after a much better direct sequel really puts in perspective how generic and uninspired this is in comparison to its predecessor. C
Son of Frankenstein (1939) - Easily one of the better classic Universal horror sequels I’ve seen, taking a lazy premise and making the best of it (with a winking meta joke that’d fit right in with modern blockbuster franchises). But then it falls apart at the end. Still fun. B
The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) - A different take on the scientist and the monster, much more focused on the former, which is great, but makes the parts with the latter feel like a bit of an afterthought. Come for Cushing, stay for Cushing too I guess. B-
Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb (1964) - A pretty stupid movie where literally nothing of note happens for the entire first half (seriously, even the opening of the tomb isn’t shown and instead saved for a flashback much later on). If not for a good deal of visual panache, this would be a complete disaster. C-
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) - If I didn’t love Queen, I’d probably hate this movie. As is, the musical sequences inject enough life into this incredibly basic and surface level picture to make me more or less enjoy it. Though I still think Rami Malek is miscast as Mercury, it’s a great performance, but the real scene stealer here is the music itself, which thankfully gets a lot of play time and lets me forget about the plodding nature of the rest of the film. C+
Order 66 sucks pretty bad.
Music’s nice though.
One of these days someone’s gotta make an ROTS edit that cuts it out.
Except Rey is a novice at best.
Shhhhh… she needs the money.
Has anyone ever tried to have Obi-wan say “Was I any different when Qui-Gon trained me” in ESB? One would think it wouldn’t be too hard to have Guinness say that, considering a certain other movie he was in.
[Ben Kenobi said:]
I don’t seem to remember ever owning a droid. Very interesting.
We don’t see him ever owning a droid though. He only ever uses R4 with his (Jedi) starfighter, and that’s a “work” vehicle so I wouldn’t say he owns that either. R4 would be like him having a work phone. You wouldn’t say you “owned” that.
It’s funny because years ago when they first announced that they were going to do one Star Wars movie each year (with the rumors being Solo, Fett, and Yoda spin-offs), everybody got mad and said that wasn’t a good idea. Now we’re at the point where they’ve finally accepted as much. I tend to think we’ll still see these spin-offs pop up at some point, though probably on the Disney streaming service rather than in theaters.
At this point I feel like this show is being made specifically for me:
https://deadline.com/2018/10/the-twilight-zone-adds-adam-scott-for-nightmare-at-30000-feet-episode-1202489947/
None of this speculation makes any sense. Kennedy wouldn’t have taken over LFL if she wasn’t allowed to make films. >By the time Lucas dies, she’ll probably be retiring herself. Not to mention, Lucas was planning on gearing up >production on more SW films before he sold the franchise, so there’s no reason they’d have to wait until after his >death (what?). Plus, the sequels have, in fact, used many elements of Lucas’s treatments.
Lucas changed his mind while writing the new scripts. He said, “If I’d held onto the company I could have done it, and then it would have been done. Of course a lot of fans would have hated it, just like they did Phantom Menace and everything but at least the whole story from beginning to end would be told.”
The key word for me is could. At some point, he decided it wasn’t a good idea. In retrospect he might be annoyed that Disney changed a significant portion of the saga, but if Disney hadn’t created a sequel trilogy I imagine he would let the saga stay at a clearly defined rise and fall of Anakin. But once Disney came along he knew the ST was inevitable and gave the discarded scripts anyway.
“At some point, he decided it wasn’t a good idea” is him deciding he didn’t want to be the one to make them, which is why he sold the company.
But we’re assuming that he still hands over his control of Lucasfilm to Kathleen Kennedy.
I don’t think that would ever happen. Lucas sold Lucasfilm for the money. I think he’d hold onto his creation as a long as possible, unless Kennedy hands him a couple billion dollars.
But for the sake of the argument we will say she gets it and receives George’s blessing. I think she would more or less follow George’s wishes until his death. It’d a lot harder to blame a large corporation like Disney, but very easy to pick on one person. People do it with Kennedy already, but in this timeline she truly would be responsible for everything that happens.
A couple years after George’s death, she might announce a sequel trilogy but I don’t think she’d use his scripts. While we don’t know much about them, that everyone who read them didn’t use anything just proves to me their poor quality. So she’d hire new directors. A certain Star Trek director would’ve loved to make a star wars film would happily sign off even if at a slightly lower salary than one with Disney. And… not much would change. Although the sequels would probably be three years apart without an spinoffs.
None of this speculation makes any sense. Kennedy wouldn’t have taken over LFL if she wasn’t allowed to make films. By the time Lucas dies, she’ll probably be retiring herself. Not to mention, Lucas was planning on gearing up production on more SW films before he sold the franchise, so there’s no reason they’d have to wait until after his death (what?). Plus, the sequels have, in fact, used many elements of Lucas’s treatments.
all I can say is I think I would much rather have what we got than that “microbiotic” world…https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2018/06/george-lucas-says-fans-would-have-hated-his-star-wars-sequel-trilogy/
I assume they’d have the creativity of the Prequels, which would be a marked improvement over the Sequels we got in at least that regard.
Thanks, I needed a laugh.
From what I understand Solo was being developed by Lawrence Kasdan even before the Disney buyout, and Lucas had at one point planned to write/direct Episode VII himself.
Add to that Rogue One being in development before the buyout.
Yeah I couldn’t remember when I posted if RO was in development before or after.
Say Lucas had handed over his company to Kathleen Kennedy, but without selling it to Disney. Would things still have played out roughly the same? Are Disney basically just funding them (and forcing to release Solo in May)? Or would there actually be a significant difference? Maybe the sequel trilogy but no spinoffs?
From what I understand Solo was being developed by Lawrence Kasdan even before the Disney buyout, and Lucas had at one point planned to write/direct Episode VII himself. So it’s possible that in terms of the kinds of films we’re seeing (sequels, spin-offs) things would be the same, but other things would be quite different I’m sure (who’s making the films, when they’re being released, etc.).