Premium Member Phil Rhodes Posted December 27, 2003 Premium Member Share Posted December 27, 2003 Hi, I haven't been to see a film for nearly two months. Normally I'll go see any old trash that happens to be juddering by at 24fps, but recently it's just been so bad I feel like I'm doing it as a duty, which kind of defeats the object of wanting to be involved in this stuff because it's fun. Recent releases which have unutterably failed to part me from £6 include "Master and Commander" with the irrepressibly smirking Russel Crowe, although the film actually made me way more than £6 since I worked at the UK premiere so my conscience would in fact be safe if I did go and watch it. I'll admit that my inability to take fantasy seriously does put a minor crimp on "The Lord of the Rings," but I saw the first for free (projected it) and wasn't grabbed enough to bother with the rest of them. And of course going back further the schedules have been polluted by the exceedingly average "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" (Which I did see, but only because my mother likes Sean Connery, and it was her birthday) The two Matrix sequels were both uninspired and uninteresting, although the latter part of the third instalment was perhaps even more crushingly uncommentworthy than the rest (Wachowskis, hint: don't make one movie about cool people in a cool-looking city, then make two more about losers living down a mine. They probably don't think they need any advice. They do.) And I'm sorry, Working Title, and I understand that you're just doing what works - but really, how many times are you going to remake the Hugh Grant movie? Hopelessly tired concept, anyone? Luckily I got out of having to take anyone to see that. I could go on, but really, am I just getting jaded? Maybe I'm just expecting to walk out of every movie feeling like I did emerging onto the sun-baked pavement outside the Odeon Chelmsford after seeing "The Fifth Element" and thinking, "Well, yes, Luc, you did write it when you were sixteen - but at least it was interesting." Maybe the advertising's not getting at me like it used to, but I haven't actively looked forward to seeing a film in over a year. Or maybe it's because every time I dare anticipate any kind of worthwhile experience out of a movie, what I actually get is "The worthwhile experience department is experiencing technical difficulties - please watch this big explosion until normal service is resumed." Grumble, mutter, complain. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Petrosky Posted December 29, 2003 Share Posted December 29, 2003 Check out LOST IN TRANSLATION. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Bill Totolo Posted December 29, 2003 Premium Member Share Posted December 29, 2003 Phil, In addition to "Lost in Translation" check out "Something's Gotta Give" with Nicholson/Keaton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Phil Rhodes Posted December 29, 2003 Author Premium Member Share Posted December 29, 2003 Hi, Will do, if I can find 'em. Combined with Amazon.com, my DVD player has been doing more region 1 than 2 of late. Snarf, snarf. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member David Mullen ASC Posted December 30, 2003 Premium Member Share Posted December 30, 2003 I loved "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King". Enjoyed "Master and Commander" quite a bit, but I grew up building sailing ship models... and my dad was in the U.S. Navy (as a pilot) and my grandfather too (as a ship captain.) Had some qualms about the message behind "Mystic River" but liked the photography. "Fog of War" is a MUST-SEE documentary, incredibly gripping and disturbing, especially when discussing the fire-bombing of Japan. The parallels between Vietnam and the occupation of Iraq are there to see even if the film doesn't attempt to make that connection (the interview was probably conducted before the war). You hear warnings about Vietnam like "what was our exit strategy?" and a chill goes down your spine... "Triplets of Bellville" is a cool animated film, very much in a Silent Era comedy mode. "Big Fish" is pretty to look at, moving in a few scenes, but too episodic. Fell flat. "Bad Santa" is nothing to look at but it fits my twisted sense of humor to a "T"... "One From the Heart" is marginally improved by Coppola's tinkering but it's still a dull movie. I don't think he got Storaro involved in this reprint either. "Calendar Girls" has a nude Helen Mirram so it can't be too bad. Actually it's charming but predictable. However, its gentle charms are preferable to the bad comedies coming down the road if the trailers for films like "Along Came Polly" are any indication. Haven't seen "The Last Samurai" nor "Cold Mountain" yet. So far, LOTR is the best film of the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc_Abernathy Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 hey phil, im with you on most of what you said. movies these days are not really interesting. they hype it up and once you see it and it generates a couple mil its off the radar the next week. (i loved the 5th element though!) im going to see paycheck today. this is the first movie i have seen in over 5 months. have not had the time to stop by the movies (plus we moved from DC to atlanta). the trailer looks cool so hopefully i will get my money's worth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Adam Frisch FSF Posted January 1, 2004 Premium Member Share Posted January 1, 2004 Master And Commander I quite enjoyed. A straight telling of a good story, with no over posted effects and "cool" shots. But then again, Peter Weir has been doing this for a long time and doesn't make too many mistakes these days. Love Actually - I agree Phil, I was disappointed. I had heard so much about it from everyone and I loved Notting Hill, but this was just too amateurish. You kind of can tell that Richard Curtis hasn't directed before - lots of scenes and settings should have been axed at the script stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Kevin Zanit Posted January 2, 2004 Premium Member Share Posted January 2, 2004 I enjoyed House of Sand and Fog. Great to look at, great performances. I also really liked 21 Grams, some real ballsy looking stuff. Kevin Zanit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frida Wendel Posted January 2, 2004 Share Posted January 2, 2004 I definately agree with Phil! I watched the documentary "easy riders raging bulls" last night and felt really sad afterwards thinking about where it all went from there. I wish that it would come back to that time when it wasn't all about the money it was about the art of filmaking. It was low budget films that had something interesting to say. What happened! The world became money crazy!!!! Frida Wendel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Beals Posted January 2, 2004 Share Posted January 2, 2004 Elephant, hands down, my favorite flick of the year. Wrote about it previously in the Big Screen section. It's just a different type of film experience, in-line with Van Sants approach to Gerry. see it. Otherwise, aside from a chunk of others, yes, cinema has gone to hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Jayson Crothers Posted January 5, 2004 Premium Member Share Posted January 5, 2004 The Last Samurai is very much like Braveheart, only in Japan. Toll does, as is to be expected, excellent work, but it seems very familiar. The end battle scene has shots that are straight out of his Braveheart work. I like the film, except for the casting of Tom Cruise...... Cold Mountain I also enjoyed very much; Seale uses a few zooms that are distracting, but I enjoyed the movie and the photography. There's some heavy filtration work in the opening battle that seemed very heavy handed, but I still enjoyed it. Thoughts anyone? Jayson Crothers Los Angeles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Tony Brown Posted January 9, 2004 Premium Member Share Posted January 9, 2004 The Last Samurai is very much like Braveheart, only in Japan. Did they at least shoot it in the right country? Or did they do that in Ireland too I agree Phil - it's pretty dire at the moment. Have a look at "La Reine Margot" on DVD, its not bad, still better than anything working title makes....and remakes....and remakes. How did your shoot in the cafe go by the way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member David Mullen ASC Posted January 9, 2004 Premium Member Share Posted January 9, 2004 "Last Samurai" was shot in Japan, New Zealand, and Los Angeles I believe. Even the Japanese directors often go to other countries to fake Japan of the middle ages ("Heaven and Earth", aka "Ten To Chi To", 1990, went to Canada.) Not enough undeveloped landscapes in Japan -- Kurosawa managed but had to shoot many scenes on the slopes of Mount Fuji. There was this story by Sidney Lumet about asking Kurosawa how he got this great composition for a battle in "Ran" and he said "well, there was a factory on the right and powerlines on the left that I had to frame out..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Phil Rhodes Posted January 9, 2004 Author Premium Member Share Posted January 9, 2004 Hi, Shoot in cafe went OK, since rescheduling forced a change of cafe! I was going for sickly green, since it was described as "Last Chance Cafe" and was filled with lots of twitching wrecks in bad clothing (Many of whom, if you look closely, are reading independent filmmaking books) Happily I walked into the new location completely cold and discovered that it was, in fact, painted mint green. Turned off every other overhead fluorescent (which was what I wanted anyway) and flagged off some of the inherent bounce fill from the opposite wall, and got a suitably grim toplight. I've only seen it on set but a copy is apparently on the way. I may be forced to post stills. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Wendell_Greene Posted January 9, 2004 Premium Member Share Posted January 9, 2004 ...I was going for sickly green, since it was described as "Last Chance Cafe" and was filled with lots of twitching wrecks in bad clothing... Phil, you remind me of an article I read where Slawomir Idziak told director Krystof Kielowski that if he was going to photograph "A Short Film About Killing" then he wanted to make the entire film look green. Keep this up and Ridley Scott will be calling you too. :) And yes, please post stills. Speaking of Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FJUDD Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 I have two little kids so the DVD player is all I can get to. I watched "Harold and Maude" the other day by Hal Ashby and thought- "This is the best movie of the year!". I did manage to get to Mona Lisa Smile. Julia Roberts owes me $9... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uma Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 hi it may seem off the topic but i am searching for the name of the movie in which robin williams has enacted role of a doctor. can anyone please help me ?? uma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Phil Rhodes Posted January 15, 2004 Author Premium Member Share Posted January 15, 2004 Hi, > Phil, you remind me of an article I read where Slawomir Idziak told... Ah yes but I am never going to be Slawomir Idziak... Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member David Mullen ASC Posted January 15, 2004 Premium Member Share Posted January 15, 2004 I think Robin Williams has played a doctor a couple of times. "Patch Adams" is probably the most infamous example. He also played one in "Awakenings". He played a psychiatrist in "Good Will Hunting". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Hamrick Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 I have to agree on much of what you said, Phil.I'm so dog gone busy these days I don't get much time to see movies,although I can see a free showing from time to time at a drive in I used to work and I did catch Cat in the Hat with the kids and Haunted Mansion which was fine for them.My lady and I saw Gothika,which was kinda cool with the creepy look of a nut house.Seabiscuit was by far one of the best in recent months I've been to see. Maybe I'm getting jaded too,but I can't help walking out of a theater at least 75% of the time saying,"That was alright but the budget was HOW MUCH???"Hard for me to justify in my mind those 8 plus figures.Also,ain't no way I'm paying over 10 bucks for a coke and popcorn.Especially since I can remember a time when I could see a movie downtown for 5 RC bottle caps. Marty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos M. Icaza Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 Chiming in at the last minute here, I saw "Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King", "Master and Commander" and "Last Samurai" and I really enjoyed all three of them very much, and in that order. The one thing that I agree is that there were several scenes in "Last Samurai" that were very similar to scenes from "BraveHart", and as much Tom Cruise was the star attraction, I think the movie was made by Ken Watanabe's "Katsumoto" character. By the way, did you all know that "Schindlers List" is coming out on March. Can't wait for that one. Carlos.- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member David Mullen ASC Posted January 16, 2004 Premium Member Share Posted January 16, 2004 I thought "Last Samurai" was "Dances with Wolves with Ninjas" -- which already makes it more fun that "Dances with Wolves"... But I can't say it was very original. Looked great though. Ken Wattenabe was great. They really chickened out at the end though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uma Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 hi i am from india, is there anyone from india, here?? if you have been closely following indian movie scene, then you know what a really rubbish movie is like... uma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manu Anand Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 Is from India and knows and loves Indian Cinema even when its crap :P Recently the adaptation of "macbeth" - 'Maqbool" was a pretty decent film. But the rest aaah the lesser said the better. Not to sound elitist or anything but i do love i really really do love the odd song and dance routine :) Manu New Delhi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uma Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 hi yes, i have also seen maqbool and loved it, the picturization, editing, acting , everything, and basically a dark topic treated so well but these films are very few,, hey, did you see munnabhai mbbs, though it was 64th carbon copy of patch adams, i loved it, and enjoyed it !!!!! nothing to say much about other films uma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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