Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
My least favorite of his. I was one and done with this film.Trying Sicario tonight to give him a shot. Some nice cinematography from Deakins, but this script and plot is kind of weak and not really grabbing me.
My least favorite of his. I was one and done with this film.Trying Sicario tonight to give him a shot. Some nice cinematography from Deakins, but this script and plot is kind of weak and not really grabbing me.
His movies with Deakins are probably the best from an overall visual perspective. Didn’t totally realize that until going through his whole filmography for this thread.Trying Sicario tonight to give him a shot. Some nice cinematography from Deakins, but this script and plot is kind of weak and not really grabbing me.
Man I love this one.My least favorite of his. I was one and done with this film.Trying Sicario tonight to give him a shot. Some nice cinematography from Deakins, but this script and plot is kind of weak and not really grabbing me.
Interesting. I don’t want to spoil it but I thought the ending was an Empire Strikes Back level twist I don’t recall seeing very often.I finally went out to see Dune 2 in the theater tonight. It looked and sounded great, I thought the acting was very good, but the mainline story is just that same rebel leader story we've seen so many times. Still, everything else about it was a spectacle.
Man I love this one.My least favorite of his. I was one and done with this film.Trying Sicario tonight to give him a shot. Some nice cinematography from Deakins, but this script and plot is kind of weak and not really grabbing me.
I watched it twice before returning the DVD (redBox was still a think then iirc lol ).
I've been thinking about it the last couple days and I've come to the realization that I am being overly cautious in any negative comments that I refraining from not posting at all. I've been watching Denis and Denis adjacent movies this month, but stupidly have been not posting because I didn't absolutely love them. Not sure why me giving something a solid B or B+ is such a bad thing, but I guess that's where I was.Been a really slow movie watching month for me, longest in awhile. I've had so much going on from family stuff to fun nights out to looking for a new job for next year. I am just now firing up for Denis month. Going in for a 2nd watch of Sicario...I love how this just hits the ground running right from the jump. The descent into Jaurez feels like Dune. The deep looming music, the desert. You can see it all right here.
I love the point I bolded. He is so strong with detail. If I had a script, novel, idea, etc. Denis is the person I would feel most comfortable bringing it to life- especially if it was complicated. I just fired up the directors cut of Blade Runner now so I can then rewatch BR2049. I am pretty sure my big takeaway will be Blade Runner is the greatest sci-fi movie of all time but Denis is one of the few making movies that can challenge it.I've been thinking about it the last couple days and I've come to the realization that I am being overly cautious in any negative comments that I refraining from not posting at all. I've been watching Denis and Denis adjacent movies this month, but stupidly have been not posting because I didn't absolutely love them. Not sure why me giving something a solid B or B+ is such a bad thing, but I guess that's where I was.Been a really slow movie watching month for me, longest in awhile. I've had so much going on from family stuff to fun nights out to looking for a new job for next year. I am just now firing up for Denis month. Going in for a 2nd watch of Sicario...I love how this just hits the ground running right from the jump. The descent into Jaurez feels like Dune. The deep looming music, the desert. You can see it all right here.
I think what is going on is that maybe I should have been more clear about who we are deciding on each month or why to the group. These aren't our top directors or anything. Some might be for sure as we saw with Wilder and Spielberg. Some might be directors that we aren't sure about but think are interesting enough to start the discussion. Some are going to be decided on by voting or without input from the other during our birthday months. It's all good, and enjoy the journey.
Long story short, I watched a few more Denis movies and my opinion hasn't changed much - I think he make very good movies that look amazing. I prefer old Denis over sci-fi blockbuster Denis, but based on the way they look and the care he puts into them, I can't think of anybody else I'd rather be in charge of these properties either. At the end of the day that is more not connecting with the source materials or big blockbusters than it has to do with him or his talent.
Blew my mind the first time i watched it. Absolutely love it10 mins into the Blade Runner 4K and yes, this is the best sci-fi film ever. Nothing comes close.
The way it interweaves the visuals, sound and story is exceptional.Blew my mind the first time i watched it. Absolutely love it10 mins into the Blade Runner 4K and yes, this is the best sci-fi film ever. Nothing comes close.
I could watch the opening of Blade Runner on a loop. If you need something to demo your surround sound system - that's the one.The way it interweaves the visuals, sound and story is exceptional.Blew my mind the first time i watched it. Absolutely love it10 mins into the Blade Runner 4K and yes, this is the best sci-fi film ever. Nothing comes close.
ETA: I forgot about 2001...I do think these are the contenders for best of sci-fi
why I love similar things like Westworld and Battlestar Galactica.
Very 4/20 movie.Tonight is a first watch of David Lynch's Dune. Pretty much exactly what I imagine when I think of everything bad about sci-fi. Laughably bad. A true flex by Denis to nail this story and make-up for this disaster. I saw an exceptionally great review from Janet Maslin, "Several of the characters in Dune are psychic, which puts them in the unique position of being able to understand what goes on in the movie"
Just for the recordThe way it interweaves the visuals, sound and story is exceptional.Blew my mind the first time i watched it. Absolutely love it10 mins into the Blade Runner 4K and yes, this is the best sci-fi film ever. Nothing comes close.
ETA: I forgot about 2001...I do think these are the contenders for best of sci-fi
The only minor gripe I have with BR2049 is the stuff with Joi is too drawn out and causes the movie to bog down. But Ana de Armas is Joi so you can live with it.
If I hadn't see the recent Dune movies, I would have had zero clue what was going on in this thing despite the constant narration. One of the worst movies I've seen in awhile.Very 4/20 movie.Tonight is a first watch of David Lynch's Dune. Pretty much exactly what I imagine when I think of everything bad about sci-fi. Laughably bad. A true flex by Denis to nail this story and make-up for this disaster. I saw an exceptionally great review from Janet Maslin, "Several of the characters in Dune are psychic, which puts them in the unique position of being able to understand what goes on in the movie"
As the only person who understood the assignment, I watched sicario and sicario: da my of the Soldado this weekend. It is fairly clear, when paying attention, that the violence in the sequel is so much more performative. In the original, it is super quick and abrupt in contrast to the wide shots and expansive breathability of the original. As Deakins describes HereMonth 1: Steven Spielberg
Month 2: Billy Wilder
Month 3: Martin Scorsese
80s and I were talking and liked the idea of tying in the DotM sometimes with newer releases that would be popular and fresh in people's mind. We will pivot away from the gritty streets of New York to the realm of big blockbusters. We will see how this goes with directors who are newer and might not have as many movies to check out. This guy is probably on a lot of people's list for favorite newer director, so let's get a little Candian flavor to the club and watch the movies of...
Month 4: Denis Villeneuve
- Watch 1-2 of Villeneuve's movies. I didn't know how to break this one up for better discussion.
Influences:
- Maybe the Sicario sequel for a contrast there?
- L
there were a lot of long wide shots – when showing action, but also in dialogue scenes. For example, there is the scene where the Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) and Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) characters argue after going into Juarez, Mexico and kidnapping a cartel boss. In such a fiery exchange of dialogue, you almost always see close-ups of the actors. I really liked the approach taken by Villeneuve and Deakins. They captured the whole exchange in one wide shot. The seriousness of the conversation and the actors’ agitation were evident, even though the camera did not come close to them.
Deakins has mentioned Jean-Pierre Melville – a French film director who worked (mostly) in the fifties and sixties – as an influence on him, especially for this movie.
Deakins: “Melville is quite similar, especially ‘Red Circle.’ The tension builds from something that seems very normal. It’s about composition, holding the shot. The pacing and action are very naturalistic, because it’s so fast and brutal.”
And here is Deakins again on how “Sicario” builds tension: “Sometimes we were building that by an image of the dust in the sunlight—you know, the dust particles. There’s so much tension in that. We built tension by holding a shot a lot longer than somebody else might—you’re watching the shot and you’re wondering what’s going to happen now. It’s that kind of thing.”
And also: “That’s the thing about the whole movie, in a way. It’s very matter of fact. This is the way it is. This is what happens. You’re not trying to make an action movie or a drama. This is it. You’re just showing it.”
Curious how this goes for you. One of my favorite movies I have ever seen, but I tend to love alien moviesTo wrap-up Denis month, I am watching the only major film of his that I hadn't yet seen: Arrival. People seem to love it so I am optimistic but it's definitely not my kind of movie. In general, I am not big on aliens.
I'm betting you'll like it.To wrap-up Denis month, I am watching the only major film of his that I hadn't yet seen: Arrival. People seem to love it so I am optimistic but it's definitely not my kind of movie. In general, I am not big on aliens.
The actual aliens are really least important part of the movieTo wrap-up Denis month, I am watching the only major film of his that I hadn't yet seen: Arrival. People seem to love it so I am optimistic but it's definitely not my kind of movie. In general, I am not big on aliens.
I'm planning a rewatch of Incendies. I'd say this and Arrival are my favorite of his, but I've only seen in the once. I want a rewatch to make sure.To wrap-up Denis month, I am watching the only major film of his that I hadn't yet seen: Arrival. People seem to love it so I am optimistic but it's definitely not my kind of movie. In general, I am not big on aliens.
There's a dearth of sci-fi that is patient, touches on human emotions, and remains enjoyable.I appreciated Arrival but it’s not my favorite of his movies. It was expertly crafted but it didn’t really strike a chord with me. I feel like I’m missing out on why this movie is so beloved.
Wow, Walter hill’s blade runner would be something.Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
This was one of the few Villeneuve films that I had watched going into this month. I didn't care for it much the first time around but I thought I might enjoy it more coming in with a better understanding of the story. This turned out to be true but only to an extent because I still didn't love it. Science Fiction isn't my favorite genre; the future it imagined was visually interesting but raised more questions than the script answered.
I acknowledge it's the type of movie that would play much better in a theater. The scale and strange beauty of the visuals are diminished on a small screen but the glacial pacing becomes more problematic as well. Everything develops so slowly that it taxed my patience. I suppose this makes the sudden acts of violence stand out more but that's hardly worth the wait. A director like Walter Hill could have told the same story in under two hours. Gosling was good, de Armas conveyed the mixture of fantasy and reality and Harrison Ford wore the same weary scowl as I did as the film entered its third hour.
George Miller?Going to post the new DotM now as I think about what to write. I will say that Waterworld was probably a better idea than I thought at first as a bridge between the two directors and themes 80s and I were thinking and joking about. That said, it's every bit as terrible as I remember so it was more of the reverse of what we were going for.
We will heading right back to the desert for May, so I just wanted a world without sand for the night.. post-apocalyptic themes ties it together as does a level of ridiculousness.