Miscellaneous Movie Musings - Page 284

Bornieo: Fully Loaded · 01-18-2008, 06:49 PM

I saw JUNO last night and I really didn't want to like this film. On the good side you have really good acting all around - Jennifer Garner surpised me the most. The wity dialogue was a surprise but almost got to the point of unrealisticly annoying and I think that's why I think it wasn't a GREAT film. It was good and prob. in my top 10 for the year but it seemed that the story jumped from realizm to fantasy and you kind of have to use a "suspension of disbelief" just to get thru the film.

I think one of the reasons for going into the film not wanting to like it is that its fallen into the Nepolian Dynamite rut where its snappy dialogue, quirky characters and odd songs. In the end I think that just becomes the new chiche'.

I give it good marks for being funny and well acted. 8 bornieos out of 10.

Gemini Cricket · 01-18-2008, 06:54 PM

Spoiler:

Mean Girls is another example.

Stan4dSteph · 01-18-2008, 08:06 PM

It was used in an episode of LOST too.

flippyshark · 01-18-2008, 08:10 PM

Saw Cloverfield today. For some reason, I'm inclined to give it more props than it probably deserves, maybe because I really dig kaiju eiga as a genre. However, I hope this is the movie that buries the Blair Witch handycam style forever. Blair Witch Project made me feel queasy, and so did Cloverfield. I sat in the back of the theater for both, and still had to look away from the screen on occasion. What an unpleasant sensation. I guess I'm more sensitive than others in that regard.

Anyhow, I thought the movie had some clever ideas and impressive sequences. Characters were paper thin (by necessity) and the story was a foregone conclusion, but I was surprised when the audience began to boo at the closing credits. Wuh-oh!

Ghoulish Delight · 01-18-2008, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flippyshark

I sat in the back of the theater for both, and still had to look away from the screen on occasion. What an unpleasant sensation. I guess I'm more sensitive than others in that regard.

That seals it for me, I will never be able to watch this movie. When I saw Blair Witch I took Dramamine in anticipation, and that still wasn't enough. I barely made it through the movie without losing my lunch. Never again will I put myself through that.

Gemini Cricket · 01-18-2008, 08:49 PM

I lost my lunch watching Waking Life. Yak!!!

Alex · 01-18-2008, 10:20 PM

Just saw Cloverfield. The shakycam didn't bother me (but then it didn't in Blair Witch either).

It wasn't great but it was good. A few very suspenseful moments and for the most part it remains true to its conceit of being from the point of view of a small group of people involved in a terrible event but in no way centrally involved.

A lot of grumbling when the movie was over, though. If you really want a traditional narrative structure all the way to the end you're going to be disappointed and I suspect the second week for this one isn't going to be great.

Teaser for the next Star Trek before the next movie. Still not excited. Plus it looked like they were building the Enterprise on the planet surface in atmosphere which makes absolutely no sense.

Alex · 01-18-2008, 11:48 PM

Also watched Helvetica tonight as a test of Netflix's newly expanded on-demand download system.

It is a documentary about the font but not so much about the font as about designers who have strong feelings about the font. Some interesting stuff (as is bound to happen when you have people on screen who say things like "I was morally opposed to Helvetica" with a straight face) but pretty much nothing of any substance other than reinforcing that people who dedicate their life to a small niche feel that niche is interesting and important.

flippyshark · 01-19-2008, 05:20 AM

Wow! A documentary about fonts? That hurts my brain. Guess I should go ahead with my ambitious plan to make a trilogy of three-hour films about college-rule notebook paper versus legal pads.

innerSpaceman · 01-19-2008, 09:17 AM

I unexpectedly loved Cloverfield ... but posted more in detail about that it the, er, Cloverfield thread.

As for the Star Trek trailer ...I got the impresison it was not footage from the film, but simply a teaser for teaser purposes only (because, yeah, building the Enterprise on a planet's surface would be insanely stupid and would not "fly" - heheh - with Star Trek fans.) Um, the teaser got a tepid reaction from the mega-excited, J.J. Abrams-loving, fanboy audience at the Chinese. Not good.

But I appreciated that it didn't seem like "real" movie footage, though maybe I am wrong. Although the Cloverfield teaser really hooked me, it was real footage of one of the highlights of the movie ... which was then less exciting than it could have been when I finally saw it in the context of the film. Oh well. Still loved it.

01-18-2008, 06:49 PM	#2831
Bornieo: Fully Loaded Lego Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Disneyland, USA Posts: 3,704	I saw JUNO last night and I really didn't want to like this film. On the good side you have really good acting all around - Jennifer Garner surpised me the most. The wity dialogue was a surprise but almost got to the point of unrealisticly annoying and I think that's why I think it wasn't a GREAT film. It was good and prob. in my top 10 for the year but it seemed that the story jumped from realizm to fantasy and you kind of have to use a "suspension of disbelief" just to get thru the film. I think one of the reasons for going into the film not wanting to like it is that its fallen into the Nepolian Dynamite rut where its snappy dialogue, quirky characters and odd songs. In the end I think that just becomes the new chiche'. I give it good marks for being funny and well acted. 8 bornieos out of 10.
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01-18-2008, 06:54 PM	#2832
Gemini Cricket ... Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 13,244	Spoiler: The thing that bugs about that is that buses, cars are not quiet. You can hear them from a block away. A normal person could hear that and avoid getting hit. Meh. Mean Girls is another example.
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01-18-2008, 08:06 PM	#2833
Stan4dSteph Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: East Bay Area, CA Posts: 3,156	It was used in an episode of LOST too.
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01-18-2008, 08:10 PM	#2834
flippyshark Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 2,852	Saw Cloverfield today. For some reason, I'm inclined to give it more props than it probably deserves, maybe because I really dig kaiju eiga as a genre. However, I hope this is the movie that buries the Blair Witch handycam style forever. Blair Witch Project made me feel queasy, and so did Cloverfield. I sat in the back of the theater for both, and still had to look away from the screen on occasion. What an unpleasant sensation. I guess I'm more sensitive than others in that regard. Anyhow, I thought the movie had some clever ideas and impressive sequences. Characters were paper thin (by necessity) and the story was a foregone conclusion, but I was surprised when the audience began to boo at the closing credits. Wuh-oh!
	Submit to Quotes

01-18-2008, 08:49 PM	#2836
Gemini Cricket ... Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 13,244	I lost my lunch watching Waking Life. Yak!!!
	Submit to Quotes

01-18-2008, 10:20 PM	#2837
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	Just saw Cloverfield. The shakycam didn't bother me (but then it didn't in Blair Witch either). It wasn't great but it was good. A few very suspenseful moments and for the most part it remains true to its conceit of being from the point of view of a small group of people involved in a terrible event but in no way centrally involved. A lot of grumbling when the movie was over, though. If you really want a traditional narrative structure all the way to the end you're going to be disappointed and I suspect the second week for this one isn't going to be great. Teaser for the next Star Trek before the next movie. Still not excited. Plus it looked like they were building the Enterprise on the planet surface in atmosphere which makes absolutely no sense.
	Submit to Quotes

01-18-2008, 11:48 PM	#2838
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	Also watched Helvetica tonight as a test of Netflix's newly expanded on-demand download system. It is a documentary about the font but not so much about the font as about designers who have strong feelings about the font. Some interesting stuff (as is bound to happen when you have people on screen who say things like "I was morally opposed to Helvetica" with a straight face) but pretty much nothing of any substance other than reinforcing that people who dedicate their life to a small niche feel that niche is interesting and important.
	Submit to Quotes

01-19-2008, 05:20 AM	#2839
flippyshark Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 2,852	Wow! A documentary about fonts? That hurts my brain. Guess I should go ahead with my ambitious plan to make a trilogy of three-hour films about college-rule notebook paper versus legal pads.
	Submit to Quotes

01-19-2008, 09:17 AM	#2840
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	I unexpectedly loved Cloverfield ... but posted more in detail about that it the, er, Cloverfield thread. As for the Star Trek trailer ...I got the impresison it was not footage from the film, but simply a teaser for teaser purposes only (because, yeah, building the Enterprise on a planet's surface would be insanely stupid and would not "fly" - heheh - with Star Trek fans.) Um, the teaser got a tepid reaction from the mega-excited, J.J. Abrams-loving, fanboy audience at the Chinese. Not good. But I appreciated that it didn't seem like "real" movie footage, though maybe I am wrong. Although the Cloverfield teaser really hooked me, it was real footage of one of the highlights of the movie ... which was then less exciting than it could have been when I finally saw it in the context of the film. Oh well. Still loved it.
	Submit to Quotes