Really? On the one hand, I’m intrigued, but on the other, the book was so fucking good that the movie can’t be anything but worse.
2 Likes
Yeah it’s starring Ryan Gosling, and as Aofrantic mentioned the directors will be Lord and Miller. The screenplay is by Goddard who did The Martian.
The book blew me away, and the audiobook was fantastic too. I doubt it’ll be as good as the book, but I’m hoping it will still be fun at least.
3 Likes
I didn’t know all of that! I loved the audiobook too. The movie should be awesome for different reasons. Like I wouldn’t say The Martian is better in either format. They both work on their own.
2 Likes
Watched Ben-Hur (1959) today. I last saw it about 17 years ago, remembered thinking it was great but only remembered a handful of details.
One of them was, of course, this chariot race, which fucking rips.
Unfortunately I found far too many of the other parts to be a bit of a slog, and the length of the movie (almost 3:45) felt like a burden. There are things besides the chariot race to compliment: the film looks great and also explores interesting themes in terms of a justifiably angry man having his anger almost fully eat up his humanity. But no matter how much good filmmaking was on display here, I had have noticeable bouts of boredom.
I have to think (I guess speaking of Ridley Scott today) that this film inspired Gladiator pretty heavily. Similar trajectory of a guy with a lofty position being lowered to slave by a corrupt official, then slowly earning his way out of slavery as he seeks revenge on behalf of his family. And this is one example where I can’t avoid the fact that Gladiator is just the more riveting film today.
It’s not like I can’t love an old incredibly long epic; Lawrence of Arabia is still a great watch. This one was just a bit more of a struggle, at least today. Despite some things to really like. But seriously, watch all 16 minutes of the above clip if you’ve never seen it.
3/5
2 Likes
I couldn’t believe my ears hearing Jeff and Devindra’s takes on the movie. They were worse than Blank Check. But then Dave Chen brings us back to reality.
Is this your description of Shyamalan movies?
I’ll concede his movies often contain twists and surprises. But I also like a lot of his writing and directorial choices. He’s more than his twists.
Ya this is my favorite book of the decade maybe. I am still excited to see the movie.
Through the five that I saw that counted before Lady in the Water ended his career, that’s basically my view, yes. I can’t speak to these unrecognized works that have apparently come out since; I don’t know much about them.
Loved The Sixth Sense, still love it. Still think it works. I’ve even headcanoned my way out being bothered by the things that don’t easily add up (mostly related to Willis’s awareness, things like the scene where he’s sitting across from Collette to open when Osment comes in). And obviously making one movie that leans heavily into a twist doesn’t singlehandedly make him a guy who uses twists as a crutch.
Unbreakable planted the bug in my head with that shoot-me-in-the-face line, “They say this has a surprise ending.” I was left in the theater squinting and saying through slanted eyes, “…what? Did that line really just happen? They’re announcing mid-movie that there’s some sort of twist coming? Why would they do that? Is this a fixation of his? I don’t like this. No matter what the twist is, that line is utterly irredeemable and doomed to stay in my brain forever.” I ultimately found the movie to be decent, so I didn’t let it bury my experience, but that was the beginning of skepticism. I found Signs to be incredibly enjoyable despite its utter silliness, so I felt like things were more or less back on track at that point.
The promotional materials for The Village looked really promising. I was there on opening night. I was excited. And then the movie utterly broke me. The twist was revealed. Instant facepalm. Instant thoughts of, “Okay, this guy is a hack. This guy was a fish on a heater. That’s all that happened. Somehow he can’t help himself; he’s decided to make the big twist his whole career. I was falling for a conjurer of cheap parlor tricks.” Left the theater angry that I had let myself believe in the guy. Angry that I had watched such trash, let alone allowed myself to be excited to watch it.
But it seemed too harsh to simply let that be game over, so I swallowed hard and watched Lady in the Water. And while that was an absolutely harrowing, miserable experience to sit through, it at least did me the solid of making the divorce easy to follow through on.
Anyway, when franchises that previously had good entries have lost their juice, I don’t just follow them into the damn ground like everyone else is so insistent on doing. I quit watching them; I don’t really consider it anymore. I opted to treat the Shyamalan Cinematic Universe the same way. Once people show who they are, believe them.
1 Like
I might be mixing you up with someone else, but haven’t you made a lot of posts about the MCU and how you’re stuck and sunk cost fallacy and stuff like that?
I expressly remember watching The Village and saying, ‘When’s something going to happen?’ And literally the next second something happened. I got it in my head that he would bring people in for screenings in the edit room and see when they’d say that. Then, he timed the movie to have something happen at the most consistent moment when people were ready to tap out on the movie.
In my eyes, The Village was a huge red flag for him truly believing his own hype (worst thing a film or TV show maker can do) and somehow someway I was smart enough to tap out after that one. I could sense Lady in the Water was going to be a problem. I was a huge fan of his until The Village. Then…I wasn’t a fan or moviegoer of his at all anymore.
2 Likes
I thought Signs had a couple of really cool moments.
Shyamalan would have been so much better at short-form anthology horror. They don’t really make movies like that anymore.
2 Likes
I don’t know whether I’ve devoted a lot of posts to that subject, but I do remember posting to that effect and you probably are remembering basically right. I did let myself get duped into watching Deadpool 3 on the basis that I’d seen every MCU movie and I felt weird about just skipping it, especially since it was getting (as it turns out, 100% inexplicable) good reviews.
But honestly, that one movie is the only MCU movie that I felt like I was going to against my better judgement. Generally disliked movies like The Marvels and the latest Captain America weren’t really misses for me; I had a good enough time with them. I’ve lost my faith in their overall project, but I think the extent to which I’ve described myself as “stuck” is to do with the fact that the Fantastic Four is coming now. I’m not a big comics guy, but to the extent that I have been, that and probably Spider-Man are the characters that really work for me. No real chance I would just quit right when F4 comes. If they blow that one too - and I’m not overly confident they won’t - all bets are off.
1 Like
Speaking of: had a conversation with my new boss two levels up from me a couple of days ago. We discuss a work thing, and then as I’m standing to leave he says, “Hey, so I heard you’re a big movie guy, huh?” I light up and confirm that I am. He says, “Ohh, I love movies too.” And I already like this guy, so I’m happy to hear that maybe I have an in with someone worth talking movies to at work.
And then he says, “The problem is that I got married a couple of years ago, and my wife hates movies. So I don’t get to watch them very much.” While I’m formulating a reaction to that, he adds, “Well, except for those musician ones like Elvis or Bohemian Rhapsody, she’s able to be talked into watching those.” And I thought, “WTF? No movies unless they’re specifically a music biopic? That’s a real position?” Naturally my external response was closer to, “Oh.”
He goes on, “You know, I don’t like those Marvel comics ones. Just not my thing.” My reaction to that is neutral; seems fine. Until he goes on, “Well I guess there’s Deadpool, that one works because it’s so funny.” I stifle a sigh, hardly able to process how quickly this conversation has gone from promising to disappointing. Eventually I escape the exchange. Max from Fury Road was right: hope is a mistake.
4 Likes
first sequel “the bone temple” comes out in 28 weeks!
I really liked Deadpool because it was basically making fun of superhero movies. Also the opening credit scene. If you’re going to play Juice Newton - Angel of the Morning in its entirety, you got me. I’m in. Take me wherever you want. Never had any desire to see the sequels though.
Greatest opening credits ever?
I liked the Guardians of the Galaxy movies for similar reasons. Very inventive and great music.
1 Like
What on earth. No…
Here:
1 Like
Have you seen Promising Young Woman?
1 Like
Needs more Salisbury Hill.
2 Likes
No
1 Like
Seems like you need to.
1 Like