Movie Thread -- Happy Stuff (Non-Wizards)

[closg00]

I am currently enjoying BBC's Luther Series via Netflix. Luther stars Idris Elba from The Wire.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00s8jk0

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I really liked The Adjustment Bureau.

Has action, a lot of the same type theme as Inception, only not as confusing IMO. I can't see anybody coming away disappointed from seeing this one. It's visually stunning and is an energizing, arousing kind of movie. I experienced all kinds of emotions watching this one. It hits upon morality, control vs free will, the power of love, fear--it's really scary in some ways.

It really has all the feel of an old school, Hitchcock-type movie. The throwback hats are badass, too.

[MF23]

I am currently enjoying BBC's Luther Series via Netflix. Luther stars Idris Elba from The Wire.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00s8jk0

Other than Mad Men it's the best television show I've seen that's currently broadcasting. I can't say it's great because the plot arcs subtly make the viewer question the possibility of such a story actually taking place. Let me be more specific, the show's believable but there are certain points where you will say "did that really happen?". The dialogue is great. I found myself really understanding the characters as the show went on. Idris Elba as well as Ruth Wilson are great. Their performances are on par with any lead or supporting award winner currently on T.V..

The show is pretty serialized so picking it up mid way would cheapen the experience.

Closg00, you'll be happy to know BBC America is producing another season.

Edit: Any show that has Massive Attack in it's opening credits is goint to make me want to tune in to find out what it's about.

[Ed Wood]

I guess House is popular in your home as well then.

Looking quickly back through the pages of the thread circa 2009 I was surprised to see that A Serious Man was more or less entirely absent, because I've just had a chance to see it and I think it's probably my favorite film by the Coen brothers, which is to say that I like it an awful lot because I like virtually all of the Coen's films an awful lot.

And I'm watching Twin Peaks, which I was a little young to really be aware of at the time it was actually on television, to round out my exposure to another director (Lynch) I really like. It's really, really good but seems to drop in quality as the second season gets on as (I imagine, this is the rationale of someone who likes Lynch) the conflicts between what the show, Lynch and company, wanted and what the network wanted to get out of the show, i.e. resolution, began to impact what actually was televised.

I'd recommend both enthusiastically based on my own experience but I don't have a lot of trouble seeing both as being pretty polarizing so I wouldn't be surprised if one or both really didn't click for a lot of people.

[W. Unseld]

Okay, I've got my movie snob side, but I also have my dork comic book lover side, so here are your superhero movie rankings for the summer, in order:

1. X-men First Class (the best of the x-men movies)
2. Green Lantern (some definite drop off, but I swear there was some sort of Marvel conspiracy to kill DC on this one or everyone who watched it hated it b/c of the CG, which was in the commercial in the first place)
3. Thor--a rental at best. In the actor's defense, it's hard in modern times to play a boisterous, constantly cheery, man's man.

[pancakes3]

horrible bosses > bridesmaids > bad teacher. first two are pretty funny and bad teacher only moderately so.

[doclinkin]

Okay, I've got my movie snob side, but I also have my dork comic book lover side, so here are your superhero movie rankings for the summer, in order:

1. X-men First Class (the best of the x-men movies)
2. Green Lantern (some definite drop off, but I swear there was some sort of Marvel conspiracy to kill DC on this one or everyone who watched it hated it b/c of the CG, which was in the commercial in the first place)
3. Thor--a rental at best. In the actor's defense, it's hard in modern times to play a boisterous, constantly cheery, man's man.

As a metadork for comics I give Thor a slightly better review, primarily for the faithful interpretation of a character I thought impossible to translate to screen. My only quibble was with Volstag who could have used another 100lbs of belly. That said I watched a pirated russian feed so that surely influenced my judgment as far as bang for the buck is concerned.

[daSwami]

I read "Hall Pass" and thought it was reasonably funny, but not as good as some other stuff.

The one I'm amped to see is "Source Code." Best spec screenplay I've ever read.

Niv, did you get a chance to read Kubrick's lost script for "Napoleon" - a movie he never got the chance to make, despite having a near-finished script written in 1969. I'm not sure how the script got out, but it's been floating around on the Internets for a while now despite Kubrick's production company's objections to its being leaked. (just google "kubrick napoleon" and a link to the pdf comes up.) The interesting thing, I think, is reading to script and trying to envision how Kubrick might've shot it. He was known as a guy who could take a week to get one shot perfect.

[Nivek]

I have read "Napoleon" and I thought it was pretty good. He uses a lot of voice over to keep the audience up to speed on what's going on, which I didn't like, but I didn't see many options given the scope of what Kubrick was trying to do. It's probably a 3-hour movie as written. I wonder if Kubrick might have done better to break it into 2 or 3 parts or even to do it as a mini-series rather than try to do basically everything in one film. On the other hand, maybe he just needed to let it go longer and do it like Lawrence of Arabia, which is one of my favorite films.

I don't think it can ever get made because it would cost a TON of money to do. Plus, you'd need a director who could "get" or at least interpret what Kubrick wanted, and I think that would be a challenge. Maybe Spielberg could get it made, but I don't think a movie with this subject matter could ever earn what it would cost to make it.

[MF23]

I know this is a movie thread but being that I enjoy reading your perspectives on adaptations of stories to screen along with not having a TV thread I wanted to post here. I recently started watching a series called The Shadow Line. The show is a cop drama based in Europe. It has the best writing I've seen since The Wire. It's so good that while I watch it I wonder how characters can say dialogue this good. If this writing is excluded from award nominations for miniseries I can't respect the criterion. Watch it..

[closg00]

The NetFlix pricing.

[pancakes3]

The summer blockbuster season's been pretty disappointing after being hyped up for quite a bit. I was entertained but not blown away like I was expected to - specifically Star Trek Into Darkness, Iron Man 3, and Man of Steel (chronologically and in order of how much I liked it).

I also saw a documentary - How to Make Money Selling Drugs - which was also entertaining for what it was and also mildly interesting but falling short of expectations.

[Nivek]

Only movie I'm semi-excited to see is "World War Z" even though I already know it's radically different from the book (which was excellent, by the way). I'll see the Superman movie when it's on PPV or DVD.

[fishercob]

Saw The Way Way Back on Friday. Really enjoyed it.

[pancakes3]

I'll look into that. It seems more like a Dan in Real Life version of Carrell rather than Burt Wonderstone.

[barelyawake]

Movie snobs unite.

This is really the golden age for indie movies. The collection of young writer/directors out now reminds me of the 1970s, in their ability to push the artform. I think "Hugo" and "Life of Pi" were the best movies those years, but barring them, the best movies IMO have all been indie flicks -- "Let the Right one in," "Winter's Bone," "Martha Marcy May Marlene," and this year I highly doubt "Berberian Sound Studio" will be beat (in my head) as best picture. Easily the best horror flick since "Let the Right One In."

Must, must sees...

"Afterschool"
A student inured to violence because of media (and domination porn), films two girls overdosing on cocaine while in school.

"Silver Tongues"
An S&M couple enjoy traveling around pulling scams on people -- not for profit, but merely because they get a sexual charge off destroying people's psyches.

"Killer Simon" (same director as "Afterschool" -- meet the new Nolan or Kubrick)
Taxi Driveresque tale of a young man in Paris, who takes up with a prostitute.

[dobrojim]

My older daughter had a couple days off from her job as a camp counselor
so before we took her back Sunday night she chose a movie for us to go to
together. We saw The Heat. It was OK in some respects I guess but was a
reminder and reinforcement for me in my belief that most movies simply
are not worth the price of admission at a typical theatre. Sandra Bullock
is smokin and I can tolerate large doses of F-bombs but the movie itself
I just didn't think was that great.

[dobrojim]

I am currently enjoying BBC's Luther Series via Netflix. Luther stars Idris Elba from The Wire.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00s8jk0

same daughter that chose The Heat recently turned me on to Orphan Black,
a BBC series that was a free on-demand series on FiOS. Very cool show. Looking
forward to the second season which is still months away. When I started watching
it drove daughter #2 crazy as I got hooked and watch the whole first season (10 episodes?)
in one weekend. Crazy for one actress to play so many parts. Intriguing plot/storyline.

http://www.bbcamerica.com/orphan-black/

[closg00]

I am currently enjoying BBC's Luther Series via Netflix. Luther stars Idris Elba from The Wire.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00s8jk0

same daughter that chose The Heat recently turned me on to Orphan Black,
a BBC series that was a free on-demand series on FiOS. Very cool show. Looking
forward to the second season which is still months away. When I started watching
it drove daughter #2 crazy as I got hooked and watch the whole first season (10 episodes?)
in one weekend. Crazy for one actress to play so many parts. Intriguing plot/storyline.

http://www.bbcamerica.com/orphan-black/

Funny, I recently watched the premier of OB based upon a recommendation ..but I haven't gone back to watch more yet because I was finishing up Mad Men and GOT III. I will pick it up again this summer. Thx!

[Nivek]

Speaking of indie films... An e-friend of mine -- a filmmaker named Si Horrocks -- is raising money for theatrical distribution of his latest project "Third Contact," which is drawing HUGE accolades from critics and those who have seen it. Check it out -- http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thi ... -it-happen