• bullet3
  • bullet3
  • I Know Regular Expressions
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2010-06-23
  • Posts: 1,350
  • User Karma: 204

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

I liked Haywire quite a bit (it's in my favorite genre, "arthouse badass"). Loved the long-take no-bullshit fight scenes, the one with Fassbender is outstanding. Carano had some weak moments, but I think she'll grow into the acting thing (she's no worse than JCVD in his older stuff).

Chronicle is outstanding in my opinion, I think the movie captures modern day high school much better than pretty much any movie I've seen, I love that there's scenes where characters are chatting while all of them are just sitting around on their cell-phones texting/browsing. If I have regrets, it's that I wish that they had gone District 9 style and abandoned the found footage angle for the end movie battle, though I understand that this helped them keep their budget down (12 mil?!!!).

Thumbs up Thumbs down

202 Reply by Eddie

  • Eddie
  • Laser Fists
  • Offline
  • From: Van Nuys, CA
  • Registered: 2009-11-23
  • Posts: 1,657
  • User Karma: 455

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

Gina fights well in movies because she fights pretty well in life (though she's no where near Cyborg, Kaufman, Tate, or Rousey).  I liked Haywire, but the overdub of her voice was so distracting that it made it hard to enjoy the movie.

Eddie Doty

Thumbs up Thumbs down

  • Registered: 2010-05-01
  • Posts: 1,519
  • User Karma: 194

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

I have just watched a "Fullscreen / Widescreen" movie...  Dirty Harry on Netflix instant. It plays at 16:9, but the actual aspect of the film is more like 2.33:1. They made it fit my HD monitor. Technically, this can still be labeled as "widescreen".

I am now fucking terrified that this will start happening on bluray.

Thumbs up Thumbs down

204 Reply by Invid

  • From: Buffalo, NY
  • Registered: 2010-01-08
  • Posts: 2,037
  • User Karma: 202

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

Just wait until it's impossible to find anything in its original 4:3 ratio...

I write stories! With words!
http://www.asstr.org/~Invid_Fan/

Thumbs up Thumbs down

205 Reply by Phi

  • Phi
  • Phi
  • Numbers Commissioner
  • Offline
  • From: Canada
  • Registered: 2010-06-09
  • Posts: 333
  • User Karma: 103

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

Jimmy B wrote:

That just makes it all the more pointless and technically not 'found footage' as it was advertised. It could/should just have been a movie, the way they used the cameras was redundant.

I didn't find it redundant because they actually integrated most of the cameras as an essential part of Andrew's character. Filming things was his security blanket (or red hunting cap).

Saw Immortals last night. It was not a great movie but it was better than I thought it was going to be, based on the trailer and reviews. I definitely have a soft spot for Tarsem. He makes the prettiest motion paintings.

Thumbs up Thumbs down

  • From: Indiana, USA
  • Registered: 2009-11-23
  • Posts: 2,747
  • User Karma: 516

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

Invid wrote:

Just wait until it's impossible to find anything in its original 4:3 ratio...

I saw Hogan's Heroes in HD a while back. It looked fantastic (because it was shot on 35 mm [cry in your beers classic Doctor Who fans]) but it was widescreen, and I KNOW I was totally missing out on some sweet hats.

Warning: I'm probably rewriting this post as you read it.

Zarban's House of Commentaries

Zarban's Website

Thumbs up Thumbs down

  • Registered: 2010-05-01
  • Posts: 1,519
  • User Karma: 194

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

Seriously, it's hilarious that now that we have the ability to FINALLY watch older movies on awesome TVs in HD, now the god damn TVs don't fit THEM anymore, either.

TV aspect ratios are now totally different than any film ratio ever used.

Also, all of Pixar's films that I've seen have done the full frame widescreen thing in HD. There's no way those movies are screened like that in theaters. It kinda bugs me. I think most animated films have been that way.

Last edited by Squiggly_P (2012-06-15 03:27:17)

Thumbs up Thumbs down

  • From: LA
  • Registered: 2010-05-26
  • Posts: 177
  • User Karma: 24

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

ATTACK THE BLOCK’s Joe Cornish To Direct Cyberpunk Classic SNOW CRASH

http://badassdigest.com/2012/06/14/atta … now-crash/

See what I've worked on recently here:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2869151/
And ways to get in touch with me at:
http://www.google.com/profiles/SethBrower

Seth_Brower's Website

Thumbs up Thumbs down

209 Reply by Trey

  • Trey
  • Trey
  • A Grizzled Old Dick With Stories To Tell
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-11-25
  • Posts: 1,756
  • User Karma: 720

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

Squiggly_P wrote:

TV aspect ratios are now totally different than any film ratio ever used.

Actually, they're only a little different. 

16x9 equates to a 1.77 ratio, and 35mm movies are 1.85.  So most movies fit almost exactly on the newfangled 16x9 screens.  That's WHY screens are 16x9, to match modern movie format.   In the same way 4x3 standard definition tv's were formatted for 1.33, which was the movie standard until the '50's.

Movies in 2.35 do still either need letterboxing or pan and scan to get the entire picture onto 16x9 screens.  But not all movies are 2.35, it's usually just used for "epic" kinda movies with big landscapes etc.   Many movies are just 1.85 - there's no reason to shoot a Jennifer Aniston romcom in uber-widescreen.  For example, closeups are a pain to compose in 2.35. 

So comedies and dramas - or any movie that's more about actors acting than scenery - will be shot 1.85, and work fine at 16x9.

Trey's Website

Thumbs up Thumbs down

  • bullet3
  • bullet3
  • I Know Regular Expressions
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2010-06-23
  • Posts: 1,350
  • User Karma: 204

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

Re-watched The Grey. Still my favorite movie of the year so far. Love everything about it.

Thumbs up Thumbs down

  • From: Indiana, USA
  • Registered: 2009-11-23
  • Posts: 2,747
  • User Karma: 516

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

Squiggly_P wrote:

Also, all of Pixar's films that I've seen have done the full frame widescreen thing in HD. There's no way those movies are screened like that in theaters.

I know Pixar recomposed some of their movies for 4:3 TVs for home video. They just went in and manually moved the objects closer together. I imagine they now compose for 16:9 from the start.

What's weird is that—I'm almost certain—they DON'T simply traverse the virtual camera a few inches and reexport the movie to create the "other eye" view for 3D, at least until Up.

Warning: I'm probably rewriting this post as you read it.

Zarban's House of Commentaries

Zarban's Website

Thumbs up Thumbs down

  • switch
  • Karma Chameleon
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2010-07-11
  • Posts: 423
  • User Karma: 21

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

The Abyss is on Encore HD as I type this.  The picture looks sharper, but the aspect ratio is 4:3.  I hope they release it next year as 16:9.  Trey, did they originally shoot Abyss at 4:3 using Super 35mm?

Thumbs up Thumbs down

  • From: Kent, England
  • Registered: 2010-02-09
  • Posts: 1,327
  • User Karma: 146

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

bullet3 wrote:

Re-watched The Grey. Still my favorite movie of the year so far. Love everything about it.

Just saw this the other day for the first time. There was a moment at the beginning where I gagged at the teal colour grading but otherwise I enjoyed it. Certainly a gutsy move to end when it does. I wasn't sure how I felt about it, probably cheated due to the impression I got from the net about the film being about Neeson punching wolves, but then the post-credits scene sort of made up for it.

But seriously Hollywood, can we move away from teal grading please?

Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere. - Carl Sagan

Thumbs up Thumbs down

  • From: Florida
  • Registered: 2009-12-01
  • Posts: 703
  • User Karma: 27

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

switch wrote:

The Abyss is on Encore HD as I type this.  The picture looks sharper, but the aspect ratio is 4:3.  I hope they release it next year as 16:9.  Trey, did they originally shoot Abyss at 4:3 using Super 35mm?

From the Aliens director's commentary: "I almost shot the film in Super 35, but I got talked out of it by somebody who didn't understand that format very well, and then I wound up shooting all my subsequent films in Super 35."  He goes on to talk about not liking anamorphic for technical reasons, but preferring the 2.35:1 aspect ratio, as well as grain in the film due to a new, higher speed film stock negative, and the fact that Kodak hadn't quite worked out their T grain emulsions. "If I had shot Super 35 it would have looked terrible, because of the graininess factor, so it's just as well of that I hadn't.  By the time I got ready to do The Abyss a couple years later, they (Kodak) had improved the emulsions enough that Super 35 looked pretty great.

So yeah, Abyss was probably on Super 35.

Matt Vayda's Website

Thumbs up Thumbs down

  • switch
  • Karma Chameleon
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2010-07-11
  • Posts: 423
  • User Karma: 21

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

sounds like he may have shot super 35 with a 2.35:1 aspect ration in mind for final release.  Which means he'd of cropped the image in post to fit the 2.35 aspect ratio.  At least I think that's right... Dorkman, did I get that right?

Thumbs up Thumbs down

216 Reply by Trey

  • Trey
  • Trey
  • A Grizzled Old Dick With Stories To Tell
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-11-25
  • Posts: 1,756
  • User Karma: 720

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

Well, I may be alone on THIS one, but I've just seen the first movie of the summer that I actually enjoyed. 

I knew nothing about Rock of Ages going in, other than seeing the trailer (in front of several other movies that I did not enjoy).  And I was a little biased against it because I knew it was gonna be an actual musical, rather than a movie about music.   It took a few minutes for me to get on board with the musical format, which is inherently surreal and can be hard to do well.    But once the movie got rolling, I was in.     

Your mileage may vary, depending largely on how much you love/hate '80's rock.  But if you're okay with that, then see Rock of Ages in a theater with a good sound system.   

The plot's nothing to worry about, if you've ever seen a musical you already know the plot.   But they performed the ritual just fine, I thought.   There are a lot of hot girls, a lot of singing and dancing, a lot of saturated color and smoky spotlights, a funny monkey, and for some reason I didn't even hate Russell Brand.     And Tom Cruise was having fun, and I had fun watching him have fun.   

I actually can't remember the last time I was in a theater where we, the audience, actually laughed at funny things in a movie.    With every movie I've seen in a long while, the best we could do was give that sorta grunt that means "I recognize that as something resembling humor."    With Rock of Ages, the crowd actually laughed.  Many times.   And at least half of them stayed to the end of the credits, at which point people applauded.    It was kinda shocking.

Apparently the movie's not doing too well in its opening weekend, but this one might be a word-of-mouth movie that hangs in for a while.     I hope so.

Trey's Website

Thumbs up Thumbs down

  • bullet3
  • bullet3
  • I Know Regular Expressions
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2010-06-23
  • Posts: 1,350
  • User Karma: 204

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

Slowly filling in my older cinema knowledge. Watched Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid, and it is indeed an excellent Western. Really sharp script, beautiful cinematography, Newman and Redford kill it.
Thematically, it reminds me a lot of the Wild Bunch. In fact, I would say this is in many ways a better, more streamlined version of the Wild Bunch (though Peckinpah can't be beat when it comes to the actual shoot-outs).

Thumbs up Thumbs down

218 Reply by Trey

  • Trey
  • Trey
  • A Grizzled Old Dick With Stories To Tell
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-11-25
  • Posts: 1,756
  • User Karma: 720

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

bullet3 wrote:

Watched Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid, and it is indeed an excellent Western. Really sharp script, beautiful cinematography, Newman and Redford kill it.

Indeed.    Now run, don't walk, and see The Sting.  Redford and Newman again, same director too.  Completely different movie, but just as great.

Trey's Website

Thumbs up +1 Thumbs down

  • From: Sweden
  • Registered: 2011-04-03
  • Posts: 511
  • User Karma: 86

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

But don't watch The Sting II!

Twitter - Facebook

Xtroid's Website

Thumbs up Thumbs down

  • From: Indiana, USA
  • Registered: 2009-11-23
  • Posts: 2,747
  • User Karma: 516

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

Trey wrote:

I knew nothing about Rock of Ages going in, other than seeing the trailer (in front of several other movies that I did not enjoy).  And I was a little biased against it because I knew it was gonna be an actual musical....

Your mileage may vary, depending largely on how much you love/hate '80's rock. ...

I actually can't remember the last time I was in a theater where we, the audience, actually laughed at funny things in a movie.

My forbidden love for Tom Cruise is almost as embarrassing as my forbidden love for Matthew McConaughey, so: cool. My forbidden love for musicals is ALSO almost as embarrassing as my forbidden love for Matthew McConaughey, so: cool. AND my forbidden love of '80s hair band music is ALSO almost as embarrassing as my forbidden love for Matthew McConaughey.

Is Matthew McConaughey in this movie, by any chance?

I always surprise myself by how much I enjoy comedies in the theater even tho I have little interest in watching them at home. I cackled like a moron along with everybody else at There's Something About Mary, Wedding Crashers, Walk Hard, and even parts of Rat Race. But Walk Hard is the only one of those I own. (cf. Matthew McConaughey)

Warning: I'm probably rewriting this post as you read it.

Zarban's House of Commentaries

Zarban's Website

Thumbs up Thumbs down

  • From: Gardena, California
  • Registered: 2009-11-26
  • Posts: 1,598
  • User Karma: 484

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

Zarban wrote:

My forbidden love for Tom Cruise is almost as embarrassing as my forbidden love for Matthew McConaughey, so: cool. My forbidden love for musicals is ALSO almost as embarrassing as my forbidden love for Matthew McConaughey, so: cool. AND my forbidden love of '80s hair band music is ALSO almost as embarrassing as my forbidden love for Matthew McConaughey.

Is Matthew McConaughey in this movie, by any chance?

No, but ROCK OF AGES had the trailer to MAGIC MIKE, and he's in that one.

I also saw ROA last night and had the same experience as Trey. I had no particular hopes for it, but I like 80s music and I wanted to see a movie, so my roommates and I went last night and were shocked about ten minutes in to realize we were loving it. It knows it's a silly musical about a silly decade and doesn't try to be anything more or less.

As Trey said, nothing earth-shattering in the plot or characters but it was fun to go along on a familiar ride and, if I'm honest, kind of a relief to be able to watch and enjoy a movie with a simple, straightforward storyline rather than trying to juggle a bunch of different hole-ridden threads.

Thumbs up Thumbs down

222 Reply by Trey

  • Trey
  • Trey
  • A Grizzled Old Dick With Stories To Tell
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-11-25
  • Posts: 1,756
  • User Karma: 720

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

Xtroid wrote:

But don't watch The Sting II!

Noooo.  Likewise avoid "Butch and Sundance: The Early Years".   Both are ample evidence that lame sequels to great movies are not a new phenomenon.

Trey's Website

Thumbs up Thumbs down

223 Reply by Invid

  • From: Buffalo, NY
  • Registered: 2010-01-08
  • Posts: 2,037
  • User Karma: 202

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

My local Battleship loving reviewer gave Rock of Ages one star but said to go see it, as it IS fun, and everyone who doesn't hate its guts will watch it a dozen times. The "Momma Mia" of rock movies smile

I write stories! With words!
http://www.asstr.org/~Invid_Fan/

Thumbs up Thumbs down

224 Reply by Trey

  • Trey
  • Trey
  • A Grizzled Old Dick With Stories To Tell
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-11-25
  • Posts: 1,756
  • User Karma: 720

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

Invid wrote:

everyone who doesn't hate its guts will watch it a dozen times.

That's actually a pretty fair review.   

I dunno if I would want to see it a dozen times, but I might be tempted to see it another time - if only to see Tom Cruise sing to Malin Ackerman's ass again.

/nope, not kidding.  This movie is genius.

Trey's Website

Thumbs up Thumbs down

  • From: Liverpool, UK
  • Registered: 2011-05-01
  • Posts: 944
  • User Karma: 365

Re: Random Movie Talk That Probably Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

I've not seen Rock of Ages, but as I love the whole 80's rock scene, I'm sure I'll have a lot of fun. It's a shame that the Motley Crue movie based off 'The Dirt' has been in development hell for quite some time.

Thumbs up Thumbs down