2017 TV/Movie/Book Thread with Spoilers

[thomchatt3rton]

I saw Hell or High Water- what's the big deal? Wasn't a bad movie but I don't see how it was so special. What am I missing?

[ReasonablySober]

I just thought it was exceptionally written, acted, and scored. Best movie I saw that year.

[MickeyDavis]

I enjoyed it. Great cast

[thomchatt3rton]

It was talked up by a lot of people on this board- that's why I rented it. Maybe I just had too high expectations. I didn't dislike it.

Now that I think about it, I do remember being disappointed because I thought the story was going to go somewhere edgier politically- the political/economic situation was a big part of the story, but they didn't make out of it what I hoped they would.

I'm terrible with stuff like this. I remember 1 or 2 episodes into True Detective (season 1) I got excited because I thought for sure they were going to do something interesting with dual conflicting narratives (harrelson's version of what happened vs mmconaughey's version: who's lying and about what and why?).
When I realized it was going to be a pretty straightforward police procedural type thing, I couldn't help holding it against them a little bit.

[BUCKnation]

Yeah, I really enjoyed Hell or High Water too. Just a very well done, straight forward movie.

[bizarro]

It was talked up by a lot of people on this board- that's why I rented it. Maybe I just had too high expectations. I didn't dislike it.

Now that I think about it, I do remember being disappointed because I thought the story was going to go somewhere edgier politically- the political/economic situation was a big part of the story, but they didn't make out of it what I hoped they would.

I'm terrible with stuff like this. I remember 1 or 2 episodes into True Detective (season 1) I got excited because I thought for sure they were going to do something interesting with dual conflicting narratives (harrelson's version of what happened vs mmconaughey's version: who's lying and about what and why?).
When I realized it was going to be a pretty straightforward police procedural type thing, I couldn't help holding it against them a little bit.

I think you're definitely overinvesting in your hope for a political narrative. Actually, I would contest too much emphasis on political statements is what can kill a great piece of literature/film - case in point for me are the seminal works 'The Jungle' (Upton Sinclair - a fantastic work that imho is drowned and ruined in the final 1/3 w/ an overt Socialist manifesto turn from an otherwise extreeeemely effective story that was infinitely more effective and interesting) and 'Wolf Totem' (by the pseudonum Xiang Rong, an absolutey stunning novel that is soured, for me, when it veers from the storyline to overtly politicize and critique the Chinese conundrum of fleeing urban areas for rural Inner Mongolia).

The beauty and effectiveness of 'Come Hell or High Water' is its beautiful dance with absolutely uplifting the character conflict of the film by not oversaturating you w/ politicized hoopla - and, there is obviously a very really backdrop of the overall issue of the broken so called American Dream. If you want that, just watch 'The Big Short'. That's a film to lay it ALL out to the layperson that the banks are most definitely not your friend and are f'ng everyone but the super rich. 'Come Hell or High Water' is a tale about a bank f'ng over an elder woman and her sons (well her most intelligent son) devising a scheme to f the bank over and recoup their land and make millions off the mineral rights - i.e. oil. There is plenty of irony in how the son ultimately accomplishes this. There is even the irony of the red tape of the institutions drowning the deep intuition and intelligence of its retiring agent - Jeff Bridges. However, what the film is really about is the characters. And, they are acted to a 'T' in a beautiful way. The final scene, imho, is one of THE great scenes in modern American film. That whole dance about '...why don't you come by my apartment downtown sometime and we can hash it out...' is so utterly perfect old world Western meets modern Texas my own man don't tread on me attitude it hurts.

Regardless, I agree w/ RS: Probably the best film of that year for me too.

[emunney]

Did you guys like There Is No Country for Old Men or Manchester Is by the Sea?

[Beorn]

Haven't seen the second, loved the first one a few years ago

[ReasonablySober]

Did you guys like There Is No Country for Old Men or Manchester Is by the Sea?

Only saw No Country once but no. But I didn't like There Will be Blood the first time and came around on that.

Cinema Score gave mother! an F. That's remarkable. I might go to the 4:20 showing today just to see the trainwreck.

[Turk Nowitzki]

Yeah, I really enjoyed Hell or High Water too. Just a very well done, straight forward movie.

Anyone who liked Hell or High Water should check out Wind River. The guy who wrote the screenplay, Taylor Sheridan, wrote and directed it. It falls under more of a murder mystery/thriller genre and I found it more disturbing than Hell or High Water. It was, however, filmed with the same poverty stricken bleak tones, set on an Indian reservation in Wyoming rather than West Texas. It was excellent and Jeremy Renner was great in the lead role.

[bizarro]

Did you guys like There Is No Country for Old Men or Manchester Is by the Sea?

I need to rewatch both and really get back to you on these. My first impressions of both were I didn't like them and I didn't dislike them. They kind of just fell as movies I watched with a completely indifferent opinion at their end. I mean, I still quote lines from 'Fargo'. Or, I still can see the slow motion wobbling of the penis machine or Brad Pitt's ridiculous snappy high fives from 'Burn After Reading'...I can't remember a single thing from 'No Country' other than doorknobs flying open and maybe the antagonist walked away bloodied at the end? 'Manchester' I recall doing a really good job of a bleak and dismal wet NE winter and a dismal bleak small town life. But, for some reason, it felt like it fell short.

EDIT:

Also, I should add, if you are a reader McCarthy's 'Blood Meridian' and 'Suttree' are - imho - his greatest works. So much so that each successive novel he's written has kind of been ruined by their greatness. There is an Western Apache raiding scene in 'Blood Meridian' that I recall as being one of the best-written passages in any novel I've read.

[Prez]

No Country for Old Men was amazing imo, thought it was crazy tense the whole way and Anton Chigurh is one of the GOAT movie villains. I guess I could see how the ending fell flat though.

[thomchatt3rton]

It was talked up by a lot of people on this board- that's why I rented it. Maybe I just had too high expectations. I didn't dislike it.

Now that I think about it, I do remember being disappointed because I thought the story was going to go somewhere edgier politically- the political/economic situation was a big part of the story, but they didn't make out of it what I hoped they would.

I'm terrible with stuff like this. I remember 1 or 2 episodes into True Detective (season 1) I got excited because I thought for sure they were going to do something interesting with dual conflicting narratives (harrelson's version of what happened vs mmconaughey's version: who's lying and about what and why?).
When I realized it was going to be a pretty straightforward police procedural type thing, I couldn't help holding it against them a little bit.

I think you're definitely overinvesting in your hope for a political narrative. Actually, I would contest too much emphasis on political statements is what can kill a great piece of literature/film - case in point for me are the seminal works 'The Jungle' (Upton Sinclair - a fantastic work that imho is drowned and ruined in the final 1/3 w/ an overt Socialist manifesto turn from an otherwise extreeeemely effective story that was infinitely more effective and interesting) and 'Wolf Totem' (by the pseudonum Xiang Rong, an absolutey stunning novel that is soured, for me, when it veers from the storyline to overtly politicize and critique the Chinese conundrum of fleeing urban areas for rural Inner Mongolia).

The beauty and effectiveness of 'Come Hell or High Water' is its beautiful dance with absolutely uplifting the character conflict of the film by not oversaturating you w/ politicized hoopla - and, there is obviously a very really backdrop of the overall issue of the broken so called American Dream. If you want that, just watch 'The Big Short'. That's a film to lay it ALL out to the layperson that the banks are most definitely not your friend and are f'ng everyone but the super rich. 'Come Hell or High Water' is a tale about a bank f'ng over an elder woman and her sons (well her most intelligent son) devising a scheme to f the bank over and recoup their land and make millions off the mineral rights - i.e. oil. There is plenty of irony in how the son ultimately accomplishes this. There is even the irony of the red tape of the institutions drowning the deep intuition and intelligence of its retiring agent - Jeff Bridges. However, what the film is really about is the characters. And, they are acted to a 'T' in a beautiful way. The final scene, imho, is one of THE great scenes in modern American film. That whole dance about '...why don't you come by my apartment downtown sometime and we can hash it out...' is so utterly perfect old world Western meets modern Texas my own man don't tread on me attitude it hurts.

Regardless, I agree w/ RS: Probably the best film of that year for me too.

No no. I wasn't hoping for the story to turn into one-dimensional political commentary. I had hoped it would incorporate more some of the recent political developments in America as a means to add a strong dose of irony to the overall story, or take the story in a slightly different way, but nothing that wasn't subordinate to the plot.
I can't remember the specifics, but I thought there was a great opportunity there for a good script to do something great. I wanted the poli/econ situation to be more part of the fiber of the thing

I'm never interested in story taking a backseat to social/politcal commentary. On the contrary, I've never liked didactic literature/films- even something non-political like Sartre leaves me very cold (The Wire is the only exception to this. But The Wire transcends.) If you catch me reading what used to be called a "problem novel", it's probably something like Dickens, at most. I'm not even into satire as a literary form (and thats the commentary stuff most people find the least dreary).

You make an eloquent case for the movie, and I see all the things you're saying, but the things you found particularly compelling just didn't move me the same way (I did like that last line though. That was good). I don't remember enough to talk specifically about it.

It could be I was alittle distracted and missed some of the subtler things (always a good possibility when I watch a movie at home) but I don't think thats what happened (tho I do recall being unaccountably thrown by the fact that Kenny Powers wife was in something besides Eastbound and Down, so maybe I was thinking about that too much).
If it shows up on Netflix later and I'm in the mood, maybe I'll give it another shot and see if I see it the way you do. idk.

[AussieBuck]

There will be blood seemed like a fairly cappy movie outside ofa couple of scenes. Without that dramatic score all over the thing it would have been dull

[tydett]

There will be blood seemed like a fairly cappy movie outside ofa couple of scenes. Without that dramatic score all over the thing it would have been dull

Somebody had their milkshake drunken.

[ReasonablySober]

Did you guys like There Is No Country for Old Men or Manchester Is by the Sea?

Cinema Score gave mother! an F. That's remarkable. I might go to the 4:20 showing today just to see the trainwreck.

I actually liked it, probably because I knew what I was getting into. If I didn't I would have been lost for most of it, probably hated it.

[thomchatt3rton]

Did you guys like There Is No Country for Old Men or Manchester Is by the Sea?

I don't believe you haven't seen No Country for Old Men.

[BUCKnation]

Yeah, I really enjoyed Hell or High Water too. Just a very well done, straight forward movie.

Anyone who liked Hell or High Water should check out Wind River. The guy who wrote the screenplay, Taylor Sheridan, wrote and directed it. It falls under more of a murder mystery/thriller genre and I found it more disturbing than Hell or High Water. It was, however, filmed with the same poverty stricken bleak tones, set on an Indian reservation in Wyoming rather than West Texas. It was excellent and Jeremy Renner was great in the lead role.

Wasn't on my radar somehow. I really liked Sicario too, which is another one Sheridan did. Also, didn't know he was the sheriff in Sons of Anarchy.

[SupremeHustle]

Did you guys like There Is No Country for Old Men or Manchester Is by the Sea?

Guess I'm the only one who sees what you did there.

[jakecronus8]

Did you guys like There Is No Country for Old Men or Manchester Is by the Sea?

Guess I'm the only one who sees what you did there.

The Inglourious Basterds was on TV last night. My favorite of all the Quincy Tarantino films.