Movie Thread -- Happy Stuff (Non-Wizards)

[barelyawake]

Indeed nevik,

All great flicks. All listworthy.

And Mr. Wood, how could you not like "Donnie Darko?" "Sometimes I question your commitment to Sparkle Motion."

[miller31time]

I heard an interesting theory about Inception's ending (it might be a popular theory but not one I've actually heard before)...

In the final scene, when the top begins to tumble, the tumbling is actually just a kick - the kind of kick that was mentioned numerous times throughout the movie. Making the entire movie a dream, not of Leo's character but rather the audience.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Couple weeks back I saw a GREAT MOVIE. The Town is really good. Great story telling. Lots of twists and turns. Riveting action. Characters are very believable. Ben Affleck is from around the area in Mass where all these bank robbers and thieves hail. I can't do it justice descriptively. Just a gripping film that's part love story, part sociological study, definitely an action movie, and a cop/crook drama where you're pulled to root for the bad guys to win. But who are the bad guys. The Town is one of the best movies I've seen.

Last week, I was stuck in the mall waiting for my car to get fixed, so I had a couple of hours to fill, and I watched The Town - expecting it be a pretty lame formulaic star vehicle for Ben. And it was - to some extent, but... the actor who played Jem (Jeremy Renner?) stole the show and I thought made it very good. That little guy scared the hell out of me and added a sense of grit and reality to the movie. And whoever the actor was who played the old man who ran the flower shop - he was great.

That old man was like evil personified. If there's ever a remake of Nosferatu he needs to be casted for that part--no makeup necessary, either. Big nose is one ugly mo fo.

And, yes, Ruz, the actor who played Jem convincingly plays very scary dudes well. According to wikipedia, Jeremy Renner once acted the role Jeffrey Dahmer and won an award for his portrayal. That Jem character really was scary.

[Nivek]

I heard an interesting theory about Inception's ending (it might be a popular theory but not one I've actually heard before)...

In the final scene, when the top begins to tumble, the tumbling is actually just a kick - the kind of kick that was mentioned numerous times throughout the movie. Making the entire movie a dream, not of Leo's character but rather the audience.

That's what I thought of immediately. More importantly, did the top begin to tumble or did it wobble momentarily?

I think the entire thing may have been a dream.

[Wizards2Lottery]

The movie Catfish is the biggest waste of time ever. Conceptually it looked like a cool idea and the story is somewhat sad, but the climax stunk.

[pancakes3]

i've wasted too many hours thinking about inception. it's purposefully confusing in order to lure people back for a repeat viewing. then word of mouth would translate to "wow you have to go see it again. it makes so much more sense". then inevitably this would lead to booming dvd/blue ray sales because of the meme: "wow, you have to buy it. all your questions will be answered. you can pause it and compare the age of the kids, wobble of the top, etc. fantastic."

the problem is that outside of the visual cues, there are legitimate plot holes that will never be answered no matter how many times you view it. it's a scam!

[Ed Wood]

I heard an interesting theory about Inception's ending (it might be a popular theory but not one I've actually heard before)...

In the final scene, when the top begins to tumble, the tumbling is actually just a kick - the kind of kick that was mentioned numerous times throughout the movie. Making the entire movie a dream, not of Leo's character but rather the audience.

That's what I thought of immediately. More importantly, did the top begin to tumble or did it wobble momentarily?

I think the entire thing may have been a dream.

It's intentionally ambiguous, I don't think Nolan intended for there to be any clear and correct interpretation of the events of the film, which is in itself something. I tend to agree with the idea that a significant portion of Inception is a discussion of movie making, which is something that Nolan really likes to do with his films and that he had done previously with Memento and to some extent The Prestige and probably the Machinist but I haven't seen it.

Nolan made a movie about people who create dreams intended to convince an audience that they are real, there's other stuff but Leo and the gang are making movies basically. And the movie itself is all about referencing and cribbing from other movies; Ken Watanabe is a samurai and Ellen Page is the wisecracking precious character. Anyway, Ken hires Leo to make a movie for a target audience (Cillian Murphy) and hires a bunch of people to handle the acting, sets and technical stuff. They do and it's a good movie, Cillian leaves the theater having been impacted by what he's seen. There's any number of other things you can read into or make up about the movie but this is, I think, the pretty universal interpretation, that it's a movie about making a movie, and the challenges of making a good movie.

[Nivek]

By the way, read the first 8 pages or so of "The Social Network" and holy crap it's good. Haven't seen it, and I probably won't when it's in theaters. But dang, Sorkin is frigging ridiculous.

[W. Unseld]

Ed Wood, that's the best interpretation of Inception I've heard so far.

As for the Town, I liked it but not as much as everyone else did. I think "realism" is now taken to mean "you don't really like any character in the movie." On a lower level I also don't want realism creeping in if it means my main actress isn't going to be extremely attractive. Give me some escapism in my movies please.

[barelyawake]

If you enjoy documentaries, or street art, or any art...

YOU MUSSSSST SEE "EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP." I don't want to spoil it for you, so I won't go into detail about the plot (which re-invents itself about five times during the journey it takes you on). Suffice to say, it's the most amazing movie I have seen in years -- and an astounding commentary on modern art and the modern art market. Blew me the frig away. Five stars. Top five greatest docs of all time.

[Spence]

Tron: Legacy is a total blast and Daft Punk produces the greatest movie soundtrack ever. If you don't like computers don't go see it. [If you don't like computers, what are you doing on the Internet?]

[barelyawake]

Tron was ok. I fell asleep twice -- mind you my glasses were cloudy and I was drunk. Spence, GO SEE EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP. It is true art (and that's the highest praise I can give something).

[closg00]

Planning on seeing Tron in 3D IMAX this weekend.

Speaking movies, Natalie Portman can go-ahead and prepare her Oscar acceptance speech for her performance in Black Swan. Black Swan will also be nominated for Best Picture and Director.

Added Exit Through the Gift Shop to my Instant queue on NetFlix, thx Barely.

[closg00]

Tron: Legacy is a total blast and Daft Punk produces the greatest movie soundtrack ever. If you don't like computers don't go see it. [If you don't like computers, what are you doing on the Internet?]

A BIG +1 Tron was a great IMAX experience and the Daft Punk score is brilliant.

[Spence]

"True Grit" is next on my must-see list.

I saw "Black Swan" a while ago and I can tell you it is not what most people think. "Black Swan" isn't high art -- unless sleaze can be elevated to high art. The movie is good old fashioned American sleaze -- and I mean that as a compliment. It's filled with prurience, gore and adult sitchee-aayshuns, but because it is allegedly about ballet and is filled with lots of classical music, people assume they're watching high art. This is basically a movie David Cronenberg would direct [Check out his 1980s horror classic "The Fly" to see what I mean] and it is filled with all the paranoia & fear of bodily decay of a standard Cronenberg flick.

I'm rooting for "Black Swan" to do well in the awards season because it would be a real expansion of what is regarded as respectable cinema. It's a well-made, sleazy horror flick and anyone who tells you different simply doesn't understand what he or she just saw.

[LyricalRico]

"True Grit" is next on my must-see list.

Went and saw it this afternoon on a whim. Wasn't thrilled by the ending but I thoroughly enjoyed the dialogue. It is such a shame that people don't talk like that anymore. On balance, I still prefer the original with The Duke, but this was a noble effort. Especially the girl. She played her character to the hilt.

[barelyawake]

Agreed, Rico. Just saw it. Ending was a letdown. Well written, other than the end, as one would expect from the great brothers of script. But, it's certainly no "Unforgiven."

The best movies I've seen in the last few years have all been docs. It would be nice to say otherwise for once. Black Swan was better than True Grit. But, neither beat the best docs of this year (which I've already raved about).

[closg00]

Couple weeks back I saw a GREAT MOVIE. The Town is really good. Great story telling. Lots of twists and turns. Riveting action. Characters are very believable. Ben Affleck is from around the area in Mass where all these bank robbers and thieves hail. I can't do it justice descriptively. Just a gripping film that's part love story, part sociological study, definitely an action movie, and a cop/crook drama where you're pulled to root for the bad guys to win. But who are the bad guys. The Town is one of the best movies I've seen.

Last week, I was stuck in the mall waiting for my car to get fixed, so I had a couple of hours to fill, and I watched The Town - expecting it be a pretty lame formulaic star vehicle for Ben. And it was - to some extent, but... the actor who played Jem (Jeremy Renner?) stole the show and I thought made it very good. That little guy scared the hell out of me and added a sense of grit and reality to the movie. And whoever the actor was who played the old man who ran the flower shop - he was great.

I saw The Town last weekend and was pleasantly surprised, it exceeded my expectations...and yes, "Jem" did steal the film. The old man in the flower shops is a "that guy", he's been in dozens of movies.

[Donkey McDonkerton]

True Grit was awesome up until the ending...let down for sure.

[LyricalRico]

Saw Tron Legacy this afternoon. Simply awesome visually. I also finally know why 13 abruptly left "House". LOL She's amazing with the short hair and bangs.