526 Topic by Writhyn

(18 replies, posted in Off Topic)

Hey. First topic post here! I've just read a bit of the Iron Giant subject thread, and saw some mentions of tears and stuff. It's also mentioned in the commentary.
Which got me wondering about all of you fine, tough, strong people in this community:

What are movies that make you cry?

For me, it's really hard to move me to the point of tears. I'm never resistant to crying in front of people, really. Doesn't bother me when it happens. But it takes a lot to move me like that.
Some movies can just do it.
I tear up a bit at the end of the Return of the King (the second-to-last ending with the ship), and the Lego Movie gets me similarly when the kid is basically telling his dad that he's the coolest person on the planet (I have some minor dad-issues).
But, oh man, the one movie that really gets me is Alfonso Cuaron's (yep!) A Little Princess, which is an excellent movie even if you're not little or a princess. Run! Don't walk.

So how about it, guys? Movies that make you cry? Particularly for reasons that may only make sense to you?

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527 Reply by Writhyn

(262 replies, posted in Episodes)

Wait, how about RED with Willis, Freeman, et al.?

That's a fun movie!

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528 Reply by Writhyn

(95 replies, posted in Off Topic)

BigDamnArtist wrote:

If this was in anyway substantiated and sustained throughout the movies instead of just a bookend thing in both I would totally buy it, and I would almost be willing to go so far as to forgive the horrible horrible film making that the Hobbit movies are. (As is, I can't see anything in the movies themselves (LOTR or the Hobbit) that is saying this a retelling of the story through the eyes of the story teller, Bilbo or Frodo, instead of the bookends simply being a flashforward.)

Congrats tho, you've gotten me the closest to actually finding a way to like these movies so far out of anything so far!

Yeah, I get what you're saying. But LOTR begins with Bilbo starting to write "There and Back Again," and ends shortly after Frodo finishes LOTR and tells Sam there's a bit more room. An Unexpected Journey begins with a stylized prologue narrated by Bilbo, who is then the central character of the story, and again shows him writing the book. That's a significant bookend.
Also remember that while the Red Book of Westmarch is supposed to contain the truth of the matter (that Bilbo essentially stole the Ring), he is often shown to be an unreliable narrator, even to himself.
But, whatever. They are just movies, in the end.

My work here is done! *flies away*

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529 Reply by Writhyn

(95 replies, posted in Off Topic)

So, I enjoyed both movies. No, they're not nearly as good as LOTR, for many, many reasons. But I can enjoy them as part of the Middle-Earth history--instead of getting mad--because of this shameless retconning:

The Hobbit is "written" by Bilbo Baggins. He's far more fanciful and dramatic than Frodo, who "wrote" the Lord of the Rings. This character difference is obvious even in their portrayal in LOTR, and is highlighted by Bilbo's introduction in the first Hobbit film: the dwarf kingdom is not the greatest kingdom of Middle-Earth, but he kinda makes it out to be. This is to be expected from someone telling his own story and that of his best friends.

LOTR is far more grounded and "real" because it was written by the pragmatic Frodo (with additions by Sam), and therefore is a far more accurate account of events, with much less of the drama and embellishment contained in the Hobbit. This allows me to enjoy the Hobbit movies as fanciful tales (as, indeed, the book was), and the Lord of the Rings as more realistic "history."

Sure, movies are movies, and if it's a bad movie, it's bad. But I like 'em, and can preclude disappointment by remembering the above. After all, I really don't care for the book Hobbit, while LOTR is awesome. So there you go.

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530 Reply by Writhyn

(42 replies, posted in Off Topic)

Listened to the Thor documentary recently, and I really liked the "Rainbow Bridge" or "Bifrost" term. Meaning when a character goes through an obvious transformation arc but the movie does not make it clear when or how this happened. It's a bridge from A to B, but intangible. And Thor (wherein is the actual Bifrost) is a perfect example.

You have to put it in your glossary, as I'm now convinced that perfect reference is the only reason why that movie exists.

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531 Reply by Writhyn

(262 replies, posted in Episodes)

Movies I think are underseen, and could be really interesting studies in story and VFX:

Reign of Fire
Push (with Dakota Fanning and Chris Evans)
The Eagle

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