What movies are you watching?

[bart]

The characters have generic, cheap comic book level traits and motivations. They are all super melodramatic cutouts and I disliked nearly everyone, which is kind of impressive because I generally like most of the actors.

As for a distinctive visual style I just don’t see it, it has the washed out and cold look of any number of recent sci fi movies.

[tragabigzanda]

Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.

[VinylGuy]

or some Thor movie?

[Hypnos]

Evil Dead Rise was excellent

I think it was a very good horror movie, but a pretty tame Evil Dead movie.

[Hypnos]

I also love Prometheus and Covenant. The first is a visually gorgeous film, and Covenant is a fun mix between a Moreau film and a gory b-movie. Ridley Scott havent done many gory b-movies so is perfect to me.

[Hypnos]

Also, if you need that Prometheus/Covenant fix, I totally recommend Raised By Wolves. Produced and directed (the first two episodes) by the good old Ridley.

[Anders]

Also, if you need that Prometheus/Covenant fix, I totally recommend Raised By Wolves. Produced and directed (the first two episodes) by the good old Ridley.

shortlist.

Just under 50 movies left for my 2015 rewatch. Then 912 movies from 2016, 734 of which I've already seen. Then 816 movies from 2017, out of which just over 400 are first time watches. Then I have 2018 movies from 2018, 1200 of which are semi rewatches (movies I've seen but can barely remember). Then in 2019 I'm only watching 3 movies -- The Report, Marriage Story, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, all starring Adam Driver. Two of those I've seen. Then 49 movies from 2020, only one of which I've seen. Then for 2021, I plan to watch every movie ever made that has a character named "Steve" in it, regardless of genre or language. I estimate this will take me about 15 years, but it's worth it for the dedication to the Steves of cinema. Then

None of those are on my shortlist though.

[Anders]

I rewatched Blade Runner 2049 this evening after watching Blade Runner last night. I enjoyed it more this time around. It's such a beautiful movie and the I really liked the score.

This has happened to me with Villeneuve movies a few times. Look forward to seeing it again.

[spike]

The characters have generic, cheap comic book level traits and motivations. They are all super melodramatic cutouts and I disliked nearly everyone, which is kind of impressive because I generally like most of the actors.

As for a distinctive visual style I just don’t see it, it has the washed out and cold look of any number of recent sci fi movies.

Since when are Alien movies dramas

[Anders]

Alien and Aliens are still far and away the best movies of that series. But that is also a very high standard to compare with.

[bart]

The characters have generic, cheap comic book level traits and motivations. They are all super melodramatic cutouts and I disliked nearly everyone, which is kind of impressive because I generally like most of the actors.

As for a distinctive visual style I just don’t see it, it has the washed out and cold look of any number of recent sci fi movies.

Since when are Alien movies dramas

Doesn’t matter what kind of movie it is.

[BurtReynolds]

The script to Prometheus is horrendous and all his shouting about theme doesn't matter if the characters and story don't draw you in (in this case they actively push you out of the movie). It just becomes some self righteous asshole on his soapbox preaching to his audience because he doesn't care enough to craft something that draws them in. You have to be able to translate it into art!

That said, I like the look and tone of it. No doubt Scott is a master at that. I could see why they would rub people the wrong way, especially since it was an Alien movie, but I thought it was refreshing.

[Anders]

The script to Prometheus is horrendous and all his shouting about theme doesn't matter if the characters and story don't draw you in (in this case they actively push you out of the movie). It's just some self righteous asshole on his soapbox preaching to his audience because he doesn't care enough to craft something that draws them in. You have to be able to translate it into art!

That said, I like the look and tone of it. No doubt Scott is a master at that. I could see why they would rub people the wrong way, especially since it was an Alien movie, but I thought it was refreshing.

How about Alien: Covenant? Which one is better?

[BurtReynolds]

Never saw it.

[BurtReynolds]

I don't have too much of a problem with cardboard cutout characters, but holy fuck these don't even resemble humans to me.

Maybe I'll watch Covenant tonight...

[Anders]

Never saw it.

OK.

[BurtReynolds]

No it's not ok I have to see everything.

[Anders]

Alien Covenant is a fundamentally stupid movie. On every level. It is a perfect example of the Star Wars/Marvel-ization of everything everywhere. Whereas the first two movies throw together groups of people who look and act like teams of professionals dealing with a challenge in a very Howard hawks way, Prometheus and covenant have their characters say things like “alas, the captaincy of this ship was taken from me, for I am a man of faith!” This is a movie that shows someone mountain repelling without a safety line and then has a character say “listen, we’re climbing a mountain without a safety line here!” Then for the finale, she has to…repel down the ship. Truly a character arc from the Ritalin addled mind of a sophomore film student.

Yes this film is truly misunderstood, it takes a keen knowledge of culture to understand they were going for gothic horror. Otherwise one could miss when they have the villain explain his evil scheme while in a dungeon laboratory filled with his creations. We could also miss when they literally make a point to name check Mary Shelley’s husband. Just too subtle for your average non-film expert, I guess.

I laughed out loud, and not in a good way, at several points. Apparently the entire crew all went the exact opposite way they should have gone to explore the planet when the ship landed - had they gone seemingly a short amount of time in any other direction they may have noticed the gargantuan imitation-Mecca the aliens built, rather than poke around some fucking woods and caves. We see a character (was she supppsed to be a pilot? A medical person? I can’t recall) IMMEDIATELY panic when she hears someone is sick and coming back to the shop. She then proceeds to fuck up in every way imaginable, crying and squealing the whole time. They cut right to Danny McBride, who says “she sounded scared. I’ve never heard her sound scared before.” Really??? Did she never stub a toe or lose her car keys in his presence??

Just a dumb, dumb movie.

Interesting take.

[Anders]

I don't have too much of a problem with cardboard cutout characters, but holy fuck these don't even resemble humans to me.

Maybe I'll watch Covenant tonight...

or

[Anders]

No it's not ok I have to see everything.

I get it.