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Recently viewed movie thread - Rental Edition (3 Viewers)

Field of Dreams

Wow. I'll try to be nice here, because I assume a lot of people love this movie. This just is not good. Corny writing, an uneven tone, and scenes that really don't work at all. Costner movies generally don't hold up well. I liked Dances With Wolves 24 years ago, but it didn't age well. Dreams and Bull Durham are two very overrated movies.
:hifive:

watched it a few years ago and really disliked that experience.
Just look at this one scene. It's a microcosm for the movie: the ghosts of dead baseball players are showing up on Costner's property, and he comments, "This is interesting." Really? That's the way the script wants to convey a sense of awe and wonder? Terrible.
I always thought of this as a kids movie. Good for like 10-14 age group.

 
Field of Dreams

Wow. I'll try to be nice here, because I assume a lot of people love this movie. This just is not good. Corny writing, an uneven tone, and scenes that really don't work at all. Costner movies generally don't hold up well. I liked Dances With Wolves 24 years ago, but it didn't age well. Dreams and Bull Durham are two very overrated movies.
:hifive:

watched it a few years ago and really disliked that experience.
Just look at this one scene. It's a microcosm for the movie: the ghosts of dead baseball players are showing up on Costner's property, and he comments, "This is interesting." Really? That's the way the script wants to convey a sense of awe and wonder? Terrible.
I always thought of this as a kids movie. Good for like 10-14 age group.
Ok... this movie is sacrosanct as far as I'm concerned.

Watched it for the first time with my dad whenever it first came out on video (not dvd). My dad's dad disappeared when he was two (rubbed out by Murder Incorporated is the commonly accepted story) and he always had a pretty obviously defined soft-spot/neurosis about fathers who come home after mysterious and/or lengthy absences. I didn't know what this movie was about, but enjoyed it well enough in spite of the hackery. But by the time the "do you want to have a catch" scene happens, I look over and he's just bawling- and he's not a guy to cry. It was obvious what was going on with him, but I lost it too. We both sat there crying into our barca-loungers until the tape ran out. As a newish dad now, I can't even make it more than a few seconds into that movie without losing it- missing my dad and wishing we had a better movie to have bonded over. ####### Costner.

 
Field of Dreams

Wow. I'll try to be nice here, because I assume a lot of people love this movie. This just is not good. Corny writing, an uneven tone, and scenes that really don't work at all. Costner movies generally don't hold up well. I liked Dances With Wolves 24 years ago, but it didn't age well. Dreams and Bull Durham are two very overrated movies.
:hifive:

watched it a few years ago and really disliked that experience.
Just look at this one scene. It's a microcosm for the movie: the ghosts of dead baseball players are showing up on Costner's property, and he comments, "This is interesting." Really? That's the way the script wants to convey a sense of awe and wonder? Terrible.
I always thought of this as a kids movie. Good for like 10-14 age group.
Ok... this movie is sacrosanct as far as I'm concerned.

Watched it for the first time with my dad whenever it first came out on video (not dvd). My dad's dad disappeared when he was two (rubbed out by Murder Incorporated is the commonly accepted story) and he always had a pretty obviously defined soft-spot/neurosis about fathers who come home after mysterious and/or lengthy absences. I didn't know what this movie was about, but enjoyed it well enough in spite of the hackery. But by the time the "do you want to have a catch" scene happens, I look over and he's just bawling- and he's not a guy to cry. It was obvious what was going on with him, but I lost it too. We both sat there crying into our barca-loungers until the tape ran out. As a newish dad now, I can't even make it more than a few seconds into that movie without losing it- missing my dad and wishing we had a better movie to have bonded over. ####### Costner.
I could totally imagine loving this had I seen it as a kid.

 
Field of Dreams

Wow. I'll try to be nice here, because I assume a lot of people love this movie. This just is not good. Corny writing, an uneven tone, and scenes that really don't work at all. Costner movies generally don't hold up well. I liked Dances With Wolves 24 years ago, but it didn't age well. Dreams and Bull Durham are two very overrated movies.
:hifive:

watched it a few years ago and really disliked that experience.
Just look at this one scene. It's a microcosm for the movie: the ghosts of dead baseball players are showing up on Costner's property, and he comments, "This is interesting." Really? That's the way the script wants to convey a sense of awe and wonder? Terrible.
I always thought of this as a kids movie. Good for like 10-14 age group.
Ok... this movie is sacrosanct as far as I'm concerned.

Watched it for the first time with my dad whenever it first came out on video (not dvd). My dad's dad disappeared when he was two (rubbed out by Murder Incorporated is the commonly accepted story) and he always had a pretty obviously defined soft-spot/neurosis about fathers who come home after mysterious and/or lengthy absences. I didn't know what this movie was about, but enjoyed it well enough in spite of the hackery. But by the time the "do you want to have a catch" scene happens, I look over and he's just bawling- and he's not a guy to cry. It was obvious what was going on with him, but I lost it too. We both sat there crying into our barca-loungers until the tape ran out. As a newish dad now, I can't even make it more than a few seconds into that movie without losing it- missing my dad and wishing we had a better movie to have bonded over. ####### Costner.
I could totally imagine loving this had I seen it as a kid.
fwiw- I was an "adult" when we watched it. IIRC, in between college and grad-school. I think being older in that situation made it stick more for me

 
Just finished Spike Jonze's short titled "I'm Here". It's only 30 min long and worth your time. It's hard to say too much about it since it is so compact but it is loosely based on the book The Giving Tree. Its a simple and delightful movie (not sure how else to describe it).
Where did you see it? I tried to add it to my Netflix queue but it's not available.
I had a hard time as well so I had to get it through some not so approved of ways by this board. :pirate:

 
Just finished Spike Jonze's short titled "I'm Here". It's only 30 min long and worth your time. It's hard to say too much about it since it is so compact but it is loosely based on the book The Giving Tree. Its a simple and delightful movie (not sure how else to describe it).
Where did you see it? I tried to add it to my Netflix queue but it's not available.
I had a hard time as well so I had to get it through some not so approved of ways by this board. :pirate:
Dammit.

 
Just finished Spike Jonze's short titled "I'm Here". It's only 30 min long and worth your time. It's hard to say too much about it since it is so compact but it is loosely based on the book The Giving Tree. Its a simple and delightful movie (not sure how else to describe it).
Where did you see it? I tried to add it to my Netflix queue but it's not available.
I had a hard time as well so I had to get it through some not so approved of ways by this board. :pirate:
Dammit.
It's on Youtube if you're cool with that

 
Yeah I never got the disdain for Costner.

Fandango, Silverado, American Flyers, The Untouchables, No Way Out, Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, Dances With Wolves are all really enjoyable films (they may not be high art but they are entertaining) he did between '85-'90, after that it becomes significantly more spotty until Hatfields & McCoys which I thought was top notch.

Good for him getting another shot at being a leading man.
Good list. Havent seen Fandango or American Flyers, but really enjoy the rest. Id also add to your enjoyable list A Perfect World, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Tin Cup, and Mr. Brooks. I also enjoyed The New Daughter, The Guardian, Waterworld, and The Postman but could see how some might see all of those as bad as well. Still gotta see Open Range which everyone raves about and JFK which is rated highly. Another recent one that I thought was enjoyable but also really well done overall, Costner had a smaller role and it surprisingly starred Ben Affleck, was The Company Men.

Really to me, Kevin Costner and Tom Cruise are quite similar. Both are actors who Id never call more than better than average, if that, but have a penchant for making enjoyable movies. Costner's star power has certainly lost more luster than Cruise thru the years despite both gaining fame at right about the same time, and being fairly close in age, but their acting abilities as well as limitations are quite similar, as is their ability to make a movie worth watching and striking gold here and there with a few movies that are/would/should be widely considered there best.

 
Great BS Report with William Goldman.

Goldman is 82 years old. One of the coolest guys I've ever listened too. Can't believe I didn't know more about him before listening to this. 82 and as sharp as anyone, moreso.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman talk. A lot on Hollywood. Goldman did screenplay for Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, All the President's Men and novels for Marathon Man and Princess Bride. What a treat. A must for a movie buff.

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/grantland/player?id=10403954
Thanks, this was entertaining. He's definitely still sharp but on occasion showed a little wear on those tires.

 
Interesting:

RoboCop: wanted for serious crimes against cinema
José Padilha's remake, like 2012's Total Recall and the planned Starship Troopers reboot, don't just miss the point of Paul Verhoeven's films. They embody the very things he satirised
Seemed pretty obvious from the trailers (and the PG-13 rating) that Robocop was going to totally miss the point. Pretty sure the same thing will happen with Starship Troopers.

It's kind of sad but entirely expected too.

 
Yeah I never got the disdain for Costner.

Fandango, Silverado, American Flyers, The Untouchables, No Way Out, Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, Dances With Wolves are all really enjoyable films (they may not be high art but they are entertaining) he did between '85-'90, after that it becomes significantly more spotty until Hatfields & McCoys which I thought was top notch.

Good for him getting another shot at being a leading man.
Good list. Havent seen Fandango or American Flyers, but really enjoy the rest. Id also add to your enjoyable list A Perfect World, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Tin Cup, and Mr. Brooks. I also enjoyed The New Daughter, The Guardian, Waterworld, and The Postman but could see how some might see all of those as bad as well. Still gotta see Open Range which everyone raves about and JFK which is rated highly. Another recent one that I thought was enjoyable but also really well done overall, Costner had a smaller role and it surprisingly starred Ben Affleck, was The Company Men.

Really to me, Kevin Costner and Tom Cruise are quite similar. Both are actors who Id never call more than better than average, if that, but have a penchant for making enjoyable movies. Costner's star power has certainly lost more luster than Cruise thru the years despite both gaining fame at right about the same time, and being fairly close in age, but their acting abilities as well as limitations are quite similar, as is their ability to make a movie worth watching and striking gold here and there with a few movies that are/would/should be widely considered there best.
Fandango is one of his first films and one of my favorite "Road" movies of all time. It is one of the few other instances where Costner brings his irreverent self to the screen but unlike Silverado, where he is constantly irreverent and pretty much one note (it's a good note), he blends in some of the seriousness that defines the majority of his career. He doesn't have much range but with the way he blended his limited talents Fandango may be his best all around acting performance.

 
Great BS Report with William Goldman.

Goldman is 82 years old. One of the coolest guys I've ever listened too. Can't believe I didn't know more about him before listening to this. 82 and as sharp as anyone, moreso.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman talk. A lot on Hollywood. Goldman did screenplay for Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, All the President's Men and novels for Marathon Man and Princess Bride. What a treat. A must for a movie buff.

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/grantland/player?id=10403954
Thanks, this was entertaining. He's definitely still sharp but on occasion showed a little wear on those tires.
One of the coolest guys I've listened too is a bit hyperbole but was just so amazed how sharp he was at 82. Being able to write All the President's men as well as The Princess Bride is impressive.

Marc Maron did a podcast with Carl Reiner, 91, about a year ago that was really good too.

 
Yeah I never got the disdain for Costner.

Fandango, Silverado, American Flyers, The Untouchables, No Way Out, Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, Dances With Wolves are all really enjoyable films (they may not be high art but they are entertaining) he did between '85-'90, after that it becomes significantly more spotty until Hatfields & McCoys which I thought was top notch.

Good for him getting another shot at being a leading man.
Good list. Havent seen Fandango or American Flyers, but really enjoy the rest. Id also add to your enjoyable list A Perfect World, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Tin Cup, and Mr. Brooks. I also enjoyed The New Daughter, The Guardian, Waterworld, and The Postman but could see how some might see all of those as bad as well. Still gotta see Open Range which everyone raves about and JFK which is rated highly. Another recent one that I thought was enjoyable but also really well done overall, Costner had a smaller role and it surprisingly starred Ben Affleck, was The Company Men.

Really to me, Kevin Costner and Tom Cruise are quite similar. Both are actors who Id never call more than better than average, if that, but have a penchant for making enjoyable movies. Costner's star power has certainly lost more luster than Cruise thru the years despite both gaining fame at right about the same time, and being fairly close in age, but their acting abilities as well as limitations are quite similar, as is their ability to make a movie worth watching and striking gold here and there with a few movies that are/would/should be widely considered there best.
Fandango is one of his first films and one of my favorite "Road" movies of all time. It is one of the few other instances where Costner brings his irreverent self to the screen but unlike Silverado, where he is constantly irreverent and pretty much one note (it's a good note), he blends in some of the seriousness that defines the majority of his career. He doesn't have much range but with the way he blended his limited talents Fandango may be his best all around acting performance.
Have never heard of Fandango. Don't think many have. Will have to check out.

 
Just finished Spike Jonze's short titled "I'm Here". It's only 30 min long and worth your time. It's hard to say too much about it since it is so compact but it is loosely based on the book The Giving Tree. Its a simple and delightful movie (not sure how else to describe it).
Where did you see it? I tried to add it to my Netflix queue but it's not available.
I had a hard time as well so I had to get it through some not so approved of ways by this board. :pirate:
Dammit.
It's on Youtube if you're cool with that
Suite :thumbup:

 
Interesting:

RoboCop: wanted for serious crimes against cinema
José Padilha's remake, like 2012's Total Recall and the planned Starship Troopers reboot, don't just miss the point of Paul Verhoeven's films. They embody the very things he satirised
Seemed pretty obvious from the trailers (and the PG-13 rating) that Robocop was going to totally miss the point. Pretty sure the same thing will happen with Starship Troopers.

It's kind of sad but entirely expected too.
I don't reject remakes automatically. But these Verhoeven remakes should have been shelved for something original.

 
Escape Plan

Sylvester and Arnold. Nuff said. Seriously, it wasn't the greatest, nor the worst ever. It's about what you would expect. Decent action, acting on the level that these types of movies with these guys usually give you. Worth a cheap rental/watch on a cold miserable night I guess.

2.5/5
I was actually surprised at how much I liked it. I'd say 3.5/5. Might have been better if they had switched lead roles though, as Arnold seemed to really enjoy being in the movie, while Stallone seemed there for a paycheck.

 
Daywalker said:
Kenny Powers said:
Great BS Report with William Goldman.

Goldman is 82 years old. One of the coolest guys I've ever listened too. Can't believe I didn't know more about him before listening to this. 82 and as sharp as anyone, moreso.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman talk. A lot on Hollywood. Goldman did screenplay for Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, All the President's Men and novels for Marathon Man and Princess Bride. What a treat. A must for a movie buff.

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/grantland/player?id=10403954
Thanks, this was entertaining. He's definitely still sharp but on occasion showed a little wear on those tires.
One of the coolest guys I've listened too is a bit hyperbole but was just so amazed how sharp he was at 82. Being able to write All the President's men as well as The Princess Bride is impressive.Marc Maron did a podcast with Carl Reiner, 91, about a year ago that was really good too.
Thanks for the link, will have to check out, definitely one of my favorite writers. Marathon Man was a great movie and better novel (sequel novel Brothers not as good but still entertaining). Butch Cassady might have generated the first bidding war for a script, not sure if it fetched a million, a lot for a script then.

He has done a lot of screenplays, including Misery, and the source novel and adaptation Magic (which was really like an expansion of the original Twilight Zone episode with Cliff Robertson as a ventriloquist). His best novels have vivid, well drawn characters, brilliant dialogue, scathing wit and riveting pacing.

Changing gears, watched the weird musical/spy spoof Top Secret! It was by Abrahams, Zucker and Zucker, who did Kentucky Fried Movie and Airplane, among others (Naked Gun, Hot Shots). Better than I remembered, though somewhat uneven, a lot of the same sight gags (guy looking through a magnifying glass has a distortedly large eye, when he pulls it away, that is how it is on his face) and word play as in their other movies.

Looking through some other comedies, for some reason (probably because of the conceptual nature of the gag) I was reminded of a scene in a movie, don't remember loving the movie, but the scene was hilarious. It involves My Dinner With Andre action figures. :lmao:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WwZkbAvBtk

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Escape Plan

Sylvester and Arnold. Nuff said. Seriously, it wasn't the greatest, nor the worst ever. It's about what you would expect. Decent action, acting on the level that these types of movies with these guys usually give you. Worth a cheap rental/watch on a cold miserable night I guess.

2.5/5
I was actually surprised at how much I liked it. I'd say 3.5/5. Might have been better if they had switched lead roles though, as Arnold seemed to really enjoy being in the movie, while Stallone seemed there for a paycheck.
Yeah I liked this as well. It was what I expected. And yeah Arnold was chewing up the scenery as only he can.

 
Lego Movie.

Home run. 5 stars. Perfect movie for the genre. If you have a son who builds and the last 25 minutes don't almost bring you to tears then you have no soul.

 
Kinda disappointed with Gravity based on all the love it's received from critics and audiences alike. Had some phenomenal CGI sequences, but that's more or less all it had going for it imo. What little dialogue there was was really cheesy, and some of the plot devices were rather senseless.

As far as recent atmospheric sci-fi films go, I much preferred Moon.

 
Changing gears, watched the weird musical/spy spoof Top Secret! It was by Abrahams, Zucker and Zucker, who did Kentucky Fried Movie and Airplane, among others (Naked Gun, Hot Shots). Better than I remembered, though somewhat uneven, a lot of the same sight gags (guy looking through a magnifying glass has a distortedly large eye, when he pulls it away, that is how it is on his face) and word play as in their other movies.
I love Top Secret. I think it's easily as funny as Airplane!

 
Lego Movie.

Home run. 5 stars. Perfect movie for the genre. If you have a son who builds and the last 25 minutes don't almost bring you to tears then you have no soul.
I loved this movie. Loved it. I had very low expectations - as you can imagine. But someone had more integrity than to churn out pointless drivel with the LEGO name on it. This movie has a lot of laughs. And there are a lot of funny inside jokes.

 
Lego Movie.

Home run. 5 stars. Perfect movie for the genre. If you have a son who builds and the last 25 minutes don't almost bring you to tears then you have no soul.
I loved this movie. Loved it. I had very low expectations - as you can imagine. But someone had more integrity than to churn out pointless drivel with the LEGO name on it. This movie has a lot of laughs. And there are a lot of funny inside jokes.
Ohh.... supposed to see this today if the kid isn't sick.

 
Changing gears, watched the weird musical/spy spoof Top Secret! It was by Abrahams, Zucker and Zucker, who did Kentucky Fried Movie and Airplane, among others (Naked Gun, Hot Shots). Better than I remembered, though somewhat uneven, a lot of the same sight gags (guy looking through a magnifying glass has a distortedly large eye, when he pulls it away, that is how it is on his face) and word play as in their other movies.
I love Top Secret. I think it's easily as funny as Airplane!
:goodposting:

 
Watched Machete Kills last night. Even taking into account what Robert Rodriguez was aiming for this was pretty awful. Machette was much better and hit all the right notes. The good news about Machette Kills is it has plenty of gorgeous babes. The bad news is ... well ... everything else.

 
JDogg - why is Bull Durham overrated? Does it fit into your definition of 'not holding up well'?

I stumbled on it a few weeks ago with my wife, and we watched it all again. There is no difference between the world it's set in and today, other than a new stadium in Durham. But the MiLB feel is still that. Doofuses with talent, cagey veteran MiLB lifers, groupies, community passion, goofy in-game entertainment, etc. Minor League Baseball is one of the great small town traditions in this country, and I thought this movie brought it to life so well.

 
Kinda disappointed with Gravity based on all the love it's received from critics and audiences alike. Had some phenomenal CGI sequences, but that's more or less all it had going for it imo. What little dialogue there was was really cheesy, and some of the plot devices were rather senseless.

As far as recent atmospheric sci-fi films go, I much preferred Moon.
Agreed all around. Moon is light years better.

 
Kinda disappointed with Gravity based on all the love it's received from critics and audiences alike. Had some phenomenal CGI sequences, but that's more or less all it had going for it imo. What little dialogue there was was really cheesy, and some of the plot devices were rather senseless.

As far as recent atmospheric sci-fi films go, I much preferred Moon.
Agreed all around. Moon is light years better.
Liked them both a great deal and don't find them similar in the least.

 
Kinda disappointed with Gravity based on all the love it's received from critics and audiences alike. Had some phenomenal CGI sequences, but that's more or less all it had going for it imo. What little dialogue there was was really cheesy, and some of the plot devices were rather senseless.

As far as recent atmospheric sci-fi films go, I much preferred Moon.
Agreed all around. Moon is light years better.
Liked them both a great deal and don't find them similar in the least.
This.

 
Kinda disappointed with Gravity based on all the love it's received from critics and audiences alike. Had some phenomenal CGI sequences, but that's more or less all it had going for it imo. What little dialogue there was was really cheesy, and some of the plot devices were rather senseless.

As far as recent atmospheric sci-fi films go, I much preferred Moon.
Agreed all around. Moon is light years better.
Liked them both a great deal and don't find them similar in the least.
Neither do I, but TK brought it up and I thought Moon was much better and certainly stuck with me much more after viewing.

 
Kinda disappointed with Gravity based on all the love it's received from critics and audiences alike. Had some phenomenal CGI sequences, but that's more or less all it had going for it imo. What little dialogue there was was really cheesy, and some of the plot devices were rather senseless.

As far as recent atmospheric sci-fi films go, I much preferred Moon.
Agreed all around. Moon is light years better.
Liked them both a great deal and don't find them similar in the least.
They're both recent atmospheric sci-fi films set in outer space. The amount of films that fit that criteria is pretty miniscule as far as I know.

 
Kinda disappointed with Gravity based on all the love it's received from critics and audiences alike. Had some phenomenal CGI sequences, but that's more or less all it had going for it imo. What little dialogue there was was really cheesy, and some of the plot devices were rather senseless.

As far as recent atmospheric sci-fi films go, I much preferred Moon.
Agreed all around. Moon is light years better.
Liked them both a great deal and don't find them similar in the least.
They're both recent atmospheric sci-fi films set in outer space. The amount of films that fit that criteria is pretty miniscule as far as I know.
One is a brainless popcorn flick about space and the other is a thoughtful drama that happens to take place in space.

I somewhat get the comparison because they're both "space movies", but they're totally different movies that appeal to totally different audiences.

 
Kinda disappointed with Gravity based on all the love it's received from critics and audiences alike. Had some phenomenal CGI sequences, but that's more or less all it had going for it imo. What little dialogue there was was really cheesy, and some of the plot devices were rather senseless.

As far as recent atmospheric sci-fi films go, I much preferred Moon.
Agreed all around. Moon is light years better.
Liked them both a great deal and don't find them similar in the least.
They're both recent atmospheric sci-fi films set in outer space. The amount of films that fit that criteria is pretty miniscule as far as I know.
One is a brainless popcorn flick about space and the other is a thoughtful drama that happens to take place in space.

I somewhat get the comparison because they're both "space movies", but they're totally different movies that appeal to totally different audiences.
Straw man.

I said they were both atmospheric sci-fi flicks, not that they shared similar stories or themes.

 
Kinda disappointed with Gravity based on all the love it's received from critics and audiences alike. Had some phenomenal CGI sequences, but that's more or less all it had going for it imo. What little dialogue there was was really cheesy, and some of the plot devices were rather senseless.

As far as recent atmospheric sci-fi films go, I much preferred Moon.
Agreed all around. Moon is light years better.
Liked them both a great deal and don't find them similar in the least.
They're both recent atmospheric sci-fi films set in outer space. The amount of films that fit that criteria is pretty miniscule as far as I know.
One is a brainless popcorn flick about space and the other is a thoughtful drama that happens to take place in space.

I somewhat get the comparison because they're both "space movies", but they're totally different movies that appeal to totally different audiences.
Straw man.

I said they were both atmospheric sci-fi flicks, not that they shared similar stories or themes.
And that seems like a really thin rationale to make a comparison between the two.

 
Kinda disappointed with Gravity based on all the love it's received from critics and audiences alike. Had some phenomenal CGI sequences, but that's more or less all it had going for it imo. What little dialogue there was was really cheesy, and some of the plot devices were rather senseless.

As far as recent atmospheric sci-fi films go, I much preferred Moon.
Agreed all around. Moon is light years better.
Liked them both a great deal and don't find them similar in the least.
They're both recent atmospheric sci-fi films set in outer space. The amount of films that fit that criteria is pretty miniscule as far as I know.
One is a brainless popcorn flick about space and the other is a thoughtful drama that happens to take place in space.

I somewhat get the comparison because they're both "space movies", but they're totally different movies that appeal to totally different audiences.
Straw man.

I said they were both atmospheric sci-fi flicks, not that they shared similar stories or themes.
And that seems like a really thin rationale to make a comparison between the two.
Perhaps. But atmospheric sci-fi films aren't exactly very common, and I was basically attempting to allude to how I don't get how Gravity is getting so much love in the major award circuit whereas a superior (imo) and somewhat similar film like Moon got next to none.

 
Lego Movie.

Home run. 5 stars. Perfect movie for the genre. If you have a son who builds and the last 25 minutes don't almost bring you to tears then you have no soul.
I loved this movie. Loved it. I had very low expectations - as you can imagine. But someone had more integrity than to churn out pointless drivel with the LEGO name on it. This movie has a lot of laughs. And there are a lot of funny inside jokes.
Ohh.... supposed to see this today if the kid isn't sick.
Selfish sick little *******.

 
Kinda disappointed with Gravity based on all the love it's received from critics and audiences alike. Had some phenomenal CGI sequences, but that's more or less all it had going for it imo. What little dialogue there was was really cheesy, and some of the plot devices were rather senseless.

As far as recent atmospheric sci-fi films go, I much preferred Moon.
Agreed all around. Moon is light years better.
Liked them both a great deal and don't find them similar in the least.
They're both recent atmospheric sci-fi films set in outer space. The amount of films that fit that criteria is pretty miniscule as far as I know.
One is a brainless popcorn flick about space and the other is a thoughtful drama that happens to take place in space.

I somewhat get the comparison because they're both "space movies", but they're totally different movies that appeal to totally different audiences.
Straw man.

I said they were both atmospheric sci-fi flicks, not that they shared similar stories or themes.
And that seems like a really thin rationale to make a comparison between the two.
Perhaps. But atmospheric sci-fi films aren't exactly very common, and I was basically attempting to allude to how I don't get how Gravity is getting so much love in the major award circuit whereas a superior (imo) and somewhat similar film like Moon got next to none.
You keep saying "atmospheric sci-fi" and I honestly have no idea what you mean by that if it allows for any comparison between the two films.

Do you mean to say that they both feature individuals who are forced to contemplate their own mortality? The sci-fi element is entirely unrelated that concept.

 
Kinda disappointed with Gravity based on all the love it's received from critics and audiences alike. Had some phenomenal CGI sequences, but that's more or less all it had going for it imo. What little dialogue there was was really cheesy, and some of the plot devices were rather senseless.

As far as recent atmospheric sci-fi films go, I much preferred Moon.
Agreed all around. Moon is light years better.
Liked them both a great deal and don't find them similar in the least.
They're both recent atmospheric sci-fi films set in outer space. The amount of films that fit that criteria is pretty miniscule as far as I know.
One is a brainless popcorn flick about space and the other is a thoughtful drama that happens to take place in space.

I somewhat get the comparison because they're both "space movies", but they're totally different movies that appeal to totally different audiences.
Straw man.

I said they were both atmospheric sci-fi flicks, not that they shared similar stories or themes.
And that seems like a really thin rationale to make a comparison between the two.
Perhaps. But atmospheric sci-fi films aren't exactly very common, and I was basically attempting to allude to how I don't get how Gravity is getting so much love in the major award circuit whereas a superior (imo) and somewhat similar film like Moon got next to none.
You keep saying "atmospheric sci-fi" and I honestly have no idea what you mean by that if it allows for any comparison between the two films.

Do you mean to say that they both feature individuals who are forced to contemplate their own mortality? The sci-fi element is entirely unrelated that concept.
An atmospheric film as in a film whose visuals/aesthetics/tone are essential elements of the film. Unlike say the Chronicles of Riddick which is nothing more than a standard action flick set in outer space.

 
Scenic Route

Felt like I had just watch an episode of twilight zone when this was over. I really enjoyed this. Also reminded me of a couple of friends that I have who fight more than they get along. I haven't heard much about it but I think most people would like it. Would be interesting to hear others interpretations of the movie.

 
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Kinda disappointed with Gravity based on all the love it's received from critics and audiences alike. Had some phenomenal CGI sequences, but that's more or less all it had going for it imo. What little dialogue there was was really cheesy, and some of the plot devices were rather senseless.

As far as recent atmospheric sci-fi films go, I much preferred Moon.
Agreed all around. Moon is light years better.
Liked them both a great deal and don't find them similar in the least.
They're both recent atmospheric sci-fi films set in outer space. The amount of films that fit that criteria is pretty miniscule as far as I know.
One is a brainless popcorn flick about space and the other is a thoughtful drama that happens to take place in space.

I somewhat get the comparison because they're both "space movies", but they're totally different movies that appeal to totally different audiences.
Straw man.

I said they were both atmospheric sci-fi flicks, not that they shared similar stories or themes.
And that seems like a really thin rationale to make a comparison between the two.
Perhaps. But atmospheric sci-fi films aren't exactly very common, and I was basically attempting to allude to how I don't get how Gravity is getting so much love in the major award circuit whereas a superior (imo) and somewhat similar film like Moon got next to none.
You keep saying "atmospheric sci-fi" and I honestly have no idea what you mean by that if it allows for any comparison between the two films.

Do you mean to say that they both feature individuals who are forced to contemplate their own mortality? The sci-fi element is entirely unrelated that concept.
An atmospheric film as in a film whose visuals/aesthetics/tone are essential elements of the film. Unlike say the Chronicles of Riddick which is nothing more than a standard action flick set in outer space.
So would you be willing to compare Castaway to Moon?

 
Out of 4 stars

American Hustle - 2
The Celebration (1998) -3

The Hunt (2012) - 3 1/2

Barbara (2012) - 3 1/2

Blue Jasmine - 2 1/2

Capt. Phillips - 3

Capturing the Friedmans - 2 1/2

 
Chaka said:
So would you be willing to compare Castaway to Moon?
Were there sci-fi elements in Cast Away that I missed? If not, then no I wouldn't compare it to a atmospheric sci-fi film like Moon.
Yeah I am still not even remotely getting your point.

Don't mean to get on you so much but I am not seeing "atmospheric sci-fi" as a distinct genre? are there "atmospheric westerns" or "atmospheric thrillers" or "atmospheric rom-coms"?

One took place in a facility on the moon and the other took place entirely in space (with technology that pretty much all exists today so I am not even sure it qualifies as sci-fi in that regard) so they had pretty much zero in common atmospherically or otherwise. I can see comparing Moon with, say, Oblivion as they are both sci-fi where the protagonist discovers some seriously uncomfortable truths about their existence. Gravity is much closer to a film like Castaway in story and content, kind of like how Star Wars Ep. IV: A New Hope plays like a western as much as anything else.

 
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Chaka said:
So would you be willing to compare Castaway to Moon?
Were there sci-fi elements in Cast Away that I missed? If not, then no I wouldn't compare it to a atmospheric sci-fi film like Moon.
Yeah I am still not even remotely getting your point.

Don't mean to get on you so much but I am not seeing "atmospheric sci-fi" as a distinct genre? are there "atmospheric westerns" or "atmospheric thrillers" or "atmospheric rom-coms"?

One took place in a facility on the moon and the other took place entirely in space (with technology that pretty much all exists today so I am not even sure it qualifies as sci-fi in that regard) so they had pretty much zero in common atmospherically or otherwise. I can see comparing Moon with, say, Oblivion as they are both sci-fi where the protagonist discovers some seriously uncomfortable truths about their existence. Gravity is much closer to a film like Castaway in story and content, kind of like how Star Wars Ep. IV: A New Hope plays like a western as much as anything else.
Seems rather pointless to continue discussing this, so I'll leave it after this post.

I never claimed "atmospheric sci-fis" were a distinct genre. I was merely comparing these 2 movies as they're both recent films set in outer space where the visuals/aesthetics/tone are essential elements of the film; I never said their stories or anything else were similar. Is it thin rationale for comparing two movies? Perhaps (though I think it's justified). But seeing as it was just a throwaway line of a post on a message board and not a thesis for a film essay, I don't see the big deal.

 
Chaka said:
So would you be willing to compare Castaway to Moon?
Were there sci-fi elements in Cast Away that I missed? If not, then no I wouldn't compare it to a atmospheric sci-fi film like Moon.
Yeah I am still not even remotely getting your point.

Don't mean to get on you so much but I am not seeing "atmospheric sci-fi" as a distinct genre? are there "atmospheric westerns" or "atmospheric thrillers" or "atmospheric rom-coms"?

One took place in a facility on the moon and the other took place entirely in space (with technology that pretty much all exists today so I am not even sure it qualifies as sci-fi in that regard) so they had pretty much zero in common atmospherically or otherwise. I can see comparing Moon with, say, Oblivion as they are both sci-fi where the protagonist discovers some seriously uncomfortable truths about their existence. Gravity is much closer to a film like Castaway in story and content, kind of like how Star Wars Ep. IV: A New Hope plays like a western as much as anything else.
I agree with this. I don't see Gravity as a Sci-fi movie at all. It is a present-day survival movie that just happens to take place in space. I think most people would agree that science fiction movies are based on either (1) an alternative past; (2) a technologically different future, or (3) an alternative world/universe. Gravity has none of those things.

 

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