The Movie Reel

[kskate2]

As the summer movie season gets underway, I wanted to revive this thread from the old forum.

Over the weekend, I saw Ironman 3 in IMAX 3D. Not a terrible effort, but how many movies can one see about Stark's world view and subsequent advanced weapons systems?

On a high note, I'm looking forward to the new Star Trek and Christopher Nolan's Superman series.

 

[Kieran]

Yeah, the summer blockbusters are upon us. I agree about Iron Man and the Marvel series in general. There's an element of overkill, plus a lack of originality. It's literally like looking at a comic. I think these films must be great for actors, revenue-wise, but you know, I blame Star Wars for all this summer blockbuster stuff. There's a huge law of diminishing returns has set in, long ago. Having said that, Christopher Nolan's re-boot of the Superman re-booted franchise could be interesting.

And yeah, I'm looking forward to Star Trek too!

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

I watched the nuclear war film again recently 'The Day After' (1983)..technically its not a proper film as it was a tv movie,

it probably had the biggest impact of almost any film ever.i saw in the first time it was on uk telly in 1985 it was originally shown in nov 1983 in usa..and it shook up the Reagan administration into warming up the cold war.

 

[kskate2]

I watched the nuclear war film again recently 'The Day After' (1983)..technically its not a proper film as it was a tv movie,

it probably had the biggest impact of almost any film ever.i saw in the first time it was on uk telly in 1985 it was originally shown in nov 1983 in usa..and it shook up the Reagan administration into warming up the cold war.

I remember that movie. I actually own the DVD. It was a very realistic view of nuclear war. Sobering actually.

 

[Kieran]

I watched Unthinkable last night on telly, starring Samuel Jackson and Carrie-Anne Moss. For all the attempt to come across as a high-pitched thriller, this one was actually very thought-provoking. How far should a government agency go in torturing a terrorist in order to find out where they've hidden a bomb?

To my mind, it's a no-brainer that torture in this circumstance is not only justified, but perhaps essential. What else would you do? Negotiate with a madman? Carrie-Anne Moss represented the bleeding-heart tendency and at one stage she rebukes Jackson's hard-ass hired torturer: "Torture doesn't work - they'll tell you anything."

His reply is along the lines of, "yeah, torture doesn't work, that's why it's been used since the beginning of time."

In fact, he was right, in this movie. The notion that a terrorist who has planted 3 nuclear bombs in major cities has 'legal rights' is laughable. Eventually, they have to do the 'unthinkable' to get him to speak. I think, at the very least, it's a film that would set you thinking...

 

[shawnbm]

I re-watched Giant recently--with Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean. Still a sweeping epic after all these years. I may have posted on it previously. Then, last night, I watched its antithesis, in the form of American Reunion. I must confess there parts that had me in stitches, albeit it is highly juvenile humo.

 

[Johnsteinbeck]

I watched Unthinkable last night on telly, starring Samuel Jackson and Carrie-Anne Moss. For all the attempt to come across as a high-pitched thriller, this one was actually very thought-provoking. How far should a government agency go in torturing a terrorist in order to find out where they've hidden a bomb?

To my mind, it's a no-brainer that torture in this circumstance is not only justified, but perhaps essential. What else would you do? Negotiate with a madman? Carrie-Anne Moss represented the bleeding-heart tendency and at one stage she rebukes Jackson's hard-ass hired torturer: "Torture doesn't work - they'll tell you anything."

His reply is along the lines of, "yeah, torture doesn't work, that's why it's been used since the beginning of time."

In fact, he was right, in this movie. The notion that a terrorist who has planted 3 nuclear bombs in major cities has 'legal rights' is laughable. Eventually, they have to do the 'unthinkable' to get him to speak. I think, at the very least, it's a film that would set you thinking...

"ticking bomb scenario". thousands of books written on it, and i even i chimed in with my master thesis
what always ticks me off is that defenders of torture always go to this model, when in reality, it's irrelevant. torture happens. a lot. the ticking bomb? life and the real world are too complex for such simple structures. the scenario simply does not happen. and there are always too many variables to come to a simple judgement of what's justified and what's not (and even then, we have to make a distinction to decide what's "just" and what's "legal").

not to side-track here, though. glad the movie was enjoyable, and you're right, that scenario always is thought-provoking indeed.

---

I re-watched Giant recently--with Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean. Still a sweeping epic after all these years. I may have posted on it previously. Then, last night, I watched its antithesis, in the form of American Reunion. I must confess there parts that had me in stitches, albeit it is highly juvenile humo.

great combo

 

[Kieran]

"ticking bomb scenario". thousands of books written on it, and i even i chimed in with my master thesis
what always ticks me off is that defenders of torture always go to this model, when in reality, it's irrelevant. torture happens. a lot. the ticking bomb? life and the real world are too complex for such simple structures. the scenario simply does not happen. and there are always too many variables to come to a simple judgement of what's justified and what's not (and even then, we have to make a distinction to decide what's "just" and what's "legal").

not to side-track here, though. glad the movie was enjoyable, and you're right, that scenario always is thought-provoking indeed.

---

---

Well, timebombs tick, but unfortunately the law don't get their hands on the terrorist before it explodes. Imagine they had caught one brother before the bombs went off in Boston...

As a hypothesis, it's one that provokes thought, which is the purpose of the film. But also, there was an interesting conundrum at the end, which was possibly revealing of the desperate and unpredictable behavior of people in extreme circumstances. However, although the time-bomb scenario never explicitly happens, I would suggest that having Al Qaeda operatives in prison is exactly the same, especially if they're high enough up the food-chain to know when an atrocity is planned for.

The distinction between what's just and legal is a fine one. Should a society act in a just way if the cost is actually the society itself? Perhaps it should. Perhaps that's the example it should set. But in combating terrorism, and knowing there's an opportunity to stop and atrocity, what options are open to the police?

By the way, you didn't do a whole masters thesis on Samuel Jackson, did ya? How mummy-effing cool is that!

 

[Johnsteinbeck]

^ thesis on Jackson would've been cool indeed

PM'd my answer on the rest, as i don't feel like abducting this thread.

 

[britbox]

I watched the nuclear war film again recently 'The Day After' (1983)..technically its not a proper film as it was a tv movie,

it probably had the biggest impact of almost any film ever.i saw in the first time it was on uk telly in 1985 it was originally shown in nov 1983 in usa..and it shook up the Reagan administration into warming up the cold war.

Did you watch "Threads" around the same time (think it was 1982) - another nuclear war film based around Sheffield. Shook me up at the time.

 

[tented]

^ thesis on Jackson would've been cool indeed

PM'd my answer on the rest, as i don't feel like abducting this thread.

This is the perfect kind of discussion for the Frontier Bar Chat thread. That will attract more people, too, instead of it being hidden within a film thread.

 

[kskate2]

Saw Star Trek: Into Darkness yesterday in IMAX 3D. I won't give spoilers, will just say I highly recommend it to all Trekkies and sci-fi fans.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

I watched the nuclear war film again recently 'The Day After' (1983)..technically its not a proper film as it was a tv movie,

it probably had the biggest impact of almost any film ever.i saw in the first time it was on uk telly in 1985 it was originally shown in nov 1983 in usa..and it shook up the Reagan administration into warming up the cold war.

Did you watch "Threads" around the same time (think it was 1982) - another nuclear war film based around Sheffield. Shook me up at the time.

yes I watched 'threads' on my own and it was scary..in fact it was made in 1984..in the fillum there is a fulltime score rundown on the radio and Newcastle who I supported had a 2-2 away draw in div 2, I remember when I watched it that I recalled that result as I was in Manchester at my reletives and I went to a spare telly to find out full time scores and that was march 1984..what with that bit in the fillum and it was obviously set in my own country (Sheffield), made it seem extra close as a reality..

it was first shown on in uk on sunday September 23rd 1984..my parents were not wanting to see it, so I was on my own, am not keen to watch it again even though I want to.

lets face it, global thermonuclear oblivion isn't really much fun (notice my avatar, from animated fillum 'when the wind blows')

 

[shawnbm]

CINEMA PARADISO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just saw the last hour of this great, great film over the weekend. One of the most touching and romantic (love of life and the movies) movies I have ever seen. Definitely on the short list of films I would want if stranded on an island. Simply fabulous movie-making, inclusive of the gorgeous score by Enrico Morrine (if memory serves). If there is a person who has never seen this film, you should make it a priority this weekend. See it in the original Italian--the language makes it an even richer experience. You will never forget this masterpiece.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

What is the worst "scene" in a movie you guys have ever seen? It could be a montage of a bigger scene, just a simple dialog that made you cringe, or even just a word like "whoa" from Neo on top of the building in Matrix. A scene that was so useless you wondered how the hell they left it in there after all the editing...My one candidate is :

- The beach volleyball scene in Top Gun. In addition to doing nothing to further the story, its sole purpose was to show some young dudes displaying their abs...every time i see that scene, i cringe...And they are such bad players...

 

[shawnbm]

Bad scene? That is a tough one. Can the entirety of Battleship Earth qualify? Travolta looked atrocious in the film too. Simply horrible.

 

[Johnsteinbeck]

i get a feeling that there's so many many, many cringeworthy moments that i should name, but can't think of one. a couple of my friends hate a certain death scene from Dark Knight Rises (don't want to spoil, but for those who have seen the movie, i guess it should be rather obvious). i agree that compared to the overall quality of the movie, it's pretty bad.

your beach volleyball scene reminds me of baywatch... when every other episode would feature 5 minutes of random music and pretty people on the beach. not that it was a real difference to the more 'plot'-oriented bits, but still.

 

[brokenshoelace]

i get a feeling that there's so many many, many cringeworthy moments that i should name, but can't think of one. a couple of my friends hate a certain death scene from Dark Knight Rises (don't want to spoil, but for those who have seen the movie, i guess it should be rather obvious). i agree that compared to the overall quality of the movie, it's pretty bad.

I know what scene you're referring to (as does anyone who's watched the movie), and I agree. It's odd, considering she's normally a pretty good actress.

Staying with the Dark Knight trilogy, I found many scenes with Rachel Dawes cringe-worthy. Katy Holmes did a poor job in the Batman Begins ("that's right you better run!" Good god was that line bad), as did Maggie Gyllenhaal (who was completely awful in The Dark Knight). The reason I bring that up is that the whole trilogy is fantastic, so the bad stuff sticks out easier (it would be easier to pick a bad movie and pintpoint a few scenes). I felt the character was Nolan's only shortcoming in the trilogy, and the quality (or lack thereof) of the acting didn't help. It's pretty telling that ********SPOILER ALERT******** nobody found Rachel's death scene to be particularly sad due to the complete emotional disconnection with the character. In fact, most people were just happy that Dent was the one who survived.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

I know when a movie is just horrible overall, it does not make much sense to pick a bad scene from it. Bad scenes stand out more in good movies, but this following one from a horrible movie still is just so bad that...I don't know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1nzd0R_OeOc#!

 

[Moxie]

I know when a movie is just horrible overall, it does not make much sense to pick a bad scene from it. Bad scenes stand out more in good movies, but this following one from a horrible movie still is just so bad that...I don't know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1nzd0R_OeOc#!

It frightens me that you even KNOW how bad that movie is! Hilarious good value in the old bad drive-in movie vein, though.

I don't think most really great movies have bad or extraneous scenes, for the most part. I did think of one, though: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" montage with them all on the bicycles. I could live without it. But in fairness, it did move the narrative...it's when Katharine Ross changes romantic loyalties.