movies

[ghostrunner]

I think they should have stuck to avoiding those. I know there's a big contingent that thinks the cheesiness and the gadgets are what make Bond "Bond."

I should clarify. It's not cheesy. It's still very dour. There are just a lot of details like saying "Bond, James Bond," the Bond theme flair punctuations, an ironic car gadget not quite working like it should bit, a henchmen that only says one word and that right before something bad happens to him, the classic lair, the bad guy speech etc. Nothing cheesy, but just a lot of nods to moments in past movies. For example, Melanie Swann walks into her room in the lair and there's a Japanese style dress for her to wear laid out on the bed a la Dr. No. The opening scene in Mexico City feels like the Carnival scene in Moonraker on steroids. I was a little put off by how choreographed and perfect the whole sequence was. Thousands of people in expensive, flawless costumes not stopping their parade when a building is blown up was dubious.

I've been a huge Bond fan my whole life and I like this movie a lot, but it just missed the mark. Craig and Mendes are just too dour to try to pull off the classic Connery detached irony or the Moore silliness. And the plot is too slow in places where it should be faster and too fast in places where it should slow down. I loved Skyfall and have seen it probably around 20 times. It's the movie I watch pretty much any time I come home alone after a night out a little buzzed with nothing to watch. I don't see myself re-watching this the amount of times I have Casino Royale or Skyfall. Even Quantum of Solace has moments that are way more exhilarating than anything in Spectre.

For some reason what I remember most about QoS is everyone getting up and leaving the opera. Also Olga Kurylenko. Every once in a while Bond gets a Catwoman-type character. She's helping, but has her own agenda. Tomorrow Never Dies is pretty ho-hum, but Michelle Yeoh was the best thing about it. Same kind of character, if a little more capable and less emotionally driven. I guess Vesper in CR is like that too, in her own way.

[thrill]

For some reason what I remember most about QoS is everyone getting up and leaving the opera.

That's the sequence I was referring to. The music, the camera work, the violence. So great. Bond throwing that dude off the roof and Green having him shot at the culmination; just a really good sequence. The rest of the movie was meh.

[jim]

I saw the movie the Martian today in 3D and that was a fine film.

[cardinalkarp]

My wife and I went to see "The Champions" at the St. Louis Film Festival (which I had no idea existed until my wife found info about it). It's a documentary about some of the surviving dogs from the Michael Vick dog fighting ring that were adopted by families and how they were rehabilitated by the "Best Friends" animal shelter.

Once again, reminded about what a piece of [expletive] Michael Vick is.

The film was produced by David Backes and his wife, so it was very cool to see about 1/2 the Blues team showing up to support Backes.

[jim]

I also saw the movie "Spy" this weekend at home and it was a very funny movie that I recommend. You will laugh.

[Jocephus]

Yay! The terminally ill guy who asked to see Force Awakens got to view it at his house!

http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/daniel- ... awaken-260

I remember thinking Abrams was awesome when he screened a super early cut of Star Trek Into Darkness for a film buff (who sadly died like 3 days later). I knew they'd do it again for this guy.

mr. fleetwood has passed

[lukethedrifter]

Saw the Hank Williams biopic at the Film Festival. I give it a 2 out of 5.

[Jocephus]

Reginald VelJohnson: ‘As Long As They Are Paying Me, I Will Play a Cop Until the Day I Die’

http://www.vulture.com/2015/11/reginald ... -cops.html

[cardinalkarp]

Watched "The Gift" w/ Jason Bateman. Pretty good movie and an unexpected plot twist.

[Jocephus]