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VolticSurge
Jul 23, 2013

Just your friendly neighborhood photobomb raptor.



Jenny Angel posted:

Has talking like this ever worked out for you

I guess he thinks it makes him sound smart? I used to know someone in college who talked like this all the time for that exact reason.

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DeimosRising
Oct 17, 2005

ˇHola SEA!


JonathonSpectre posted:

So I saw this yesterday.

You know how when you watched the Lord of the Rings movies you could just tell that everyone who worked on the project cared deeply about making it good?

This is a movie that NO ONE involved in cared about at all. It wasn't "bad," in that yes, there is a plot, and yes, there are actors, and yes, this is a film that tells a coherent (if very stupid) story. It's worse than bad. It's lifeless. The only reason it exists is, "We need a King Kong movie to set up some other movies." Outside of J.Reilly it seemed like everyone else in the movie spent every scene mainly thinking about how quickly they were going to get off set and spend their check.

To roughly paraphrase the greatest, I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated hated hated it. It should have been called KONG: SKULL ISLAND CONSUMER PRODUCT AND TOY VEHICLE. Its body should have been burned in a trash bin. I'd rather watch two hours of a movie that was straight-up bad due to poor filmmaking, acting, etc. than thirty seconds of this unloved paint-by-numbers slog. I was checking my watch 20 minutes in.

If you haven't seen it yet and are browsing the thread deciding whether or not to see it, don't! Do anything else with your $10. Go buy $10 worth of birdseed and go dump it in a field and watch the birds eat. Donate it to an animal shelter. Have a nice lunch at that new Cuban place. Go buy $10 worth of eggs and just throw them away. Do anything at all with your money besides seeing this.

My only hope for this, uh, film, is that its incredibly egregious, endlessly-repeating use of "iconic" '70s songs over images of Hueys and dudes in olive drab looking bored in those Hueys causes massive public outrage and we can stop seeing this exact same montage in every movie even tangentially related to Vietnam. It happens literally like 4-5 times in this Kong product, to the point that even my 12 year-old nephew was like, "Do you think that they'll play Bohemian Rhapsody later while they are flying away?"

You know how when you saw Lord of the Rings and you were a 10 year old dipshit and spent a bunch of time pretending to be Aragorn alone in your room and kissing a picture of Liv Tyler? Same except now and I'm pretending to be Kong and I'm kissing Brie Larsen AND Tom Hiddleston and this movie doesn't suck like LotR

Simplex
Jun 29, 2003

I did get the sense from the movie that the actors were given a lot of latitude to play their characters, which I think resulted in a some pretty uneven performances. As written, most of the characters seemed kind of like cartoonish archetypes, and for example Samuel L. Jackson rolls with it and gives his most Samuel L. Jackson performance. In contrast John Goodman plays his role really seriously for some reason, and other actors just don't seem to know what to do.

Neo Rasa
Mar 8, 2007
Everyone should play DUKE games.

:dukedog:
EVERY MORNING I WAKE UP AND OPEN PALM SLAM A VHS INTO THE SLOT. ITS KONG: SKULL ISLAND AND RIGHT THEN AND THERE I START DOING THE MOVES ALONGSIDE WITH THE MAIN CHARACTER, KONG. I DO EVERY MOVE AND I DO EVERY MOVE HARD. MAKIN WHOOSHING SOUNDS WHEN I SLAM DOWN SOME SKULLCRAWLER BASTARDS OR EVEN WHEN I MESS UP TECHNIQUE. NOT MANY CAN SAY THEY ESCAPED THE GALAXY’S MOST DANGEROUS ISLAND. I CAN. I SAY IT AND I SAY IT OUTLOUD EVERYDAY TO PEOPLE IN MY COLLEGE CLASS AND ALL THEY DO IS PROVE PEOPLE IN COLLEGE CLASS CAN STILL BE IMMATURE JERKS. AND IVE LEARNED ALL THE LINES AND IVE LEARNED HOW TO MAKE MYSELF AND MY APARTMENT LESS LONELY BY SHOUTING EM ALL. 2 HOURS INCLUDING WIND DOWN EVERY MORNING. THEN I LIFT

Mokelumne Trekka
Nov 22, 2015

Soon.

Samuel L Jackson and John C Reilly actually put effort and brought life into their roles, an impressive feat given how quickly things moved IMO

G'14 had one guy with a pulse (Bryan Cranston) but died 40min into the movie

So, an improvement human character-wise

Snowglobe of Doom
Mar 30, 2012

sucks to be right
SLJ actually managed to convincingly act like a guy who was going to gently caress up giant Kong's poo poo which was pretty impressive. He Ahab'ed the gently caress out of that monkey.


Neo Rasa posted:

THEN I LIFT

CelticPredator
Oct 11, 2013
🍀👽🆚🪖🏋

I find it weird that toys were brought up considering the only figures released are ONLY available at Wal-Mart and look hopelessly cheap and done real quick. This isn't a major push like Power Rangers or even Guardians to a degree.

They straight up dumped the license on some new company's feet and made it available at one store. Kong ain't no merch power house.

Mecha Gojira
Jun 23, 2006

Jack Nissan

Neo Rasa posted:

EVERY MORNING I WAKE UP AND OPEN PALM SLAM A VHS INTO THE SLOT. ITS KONG: SKULL ISLAND AND RIGHT THEN AND THERE I START DOING THE MOVES ALONGSIDE WITH THE MAIN CHARACTER, KONG. I DO EVERY MOVE AND I DO EVERY MOVE HARD. MAKIN WHOOSHING SOUNDS WHEN I SLAM DOWN SOME SKULLCRAWLER BASTARDS OR EVEN WHEN I MESS UP TECHNIQUE. NOT MANY CAN SAY THEY ESCAPED THE GALAXY’S MOST DANGEROUS ISLAND. I CAN. I SAY IT AND I SAY IT OUTLOUD EVERYDAY TO PEOPLE IN MY COLLEGE CLASS AND ALL THEY DO IS PROVE PEOPLE IN COLLEGE CLASS CAN STILL BE IMMATURE JERKS. AND IVE LEARNED ALL THE LINES AND IVE LEARNED HOW TO MAKE MYSELF AND MY APARTMENT LESS LONELY BY SHOUTING EM ALL. 2 HOURS INCLUDING WIND DOWN EVERY MORNING. THEN I LIFT

(Giant) Gorilla Mindset.

K. Waste
Feb 27, 2014

MORAL:
To the vector belong the spoils.
All of the acting in Skull Island is actually really good considering how 'intentionally bad' the dialog is.

HannibalBarca
Sep 11, 2016

History shows, again and again, how nature points out the folly of man.

K. Waste posted:

All of the acting in Skull Island is actually really good considering how 'intentionally bad' the dialog is.

Max Borenstein wrote it, so I'm not sure just how intentional the badness is.

Hollismason
Jun 30, 2007

Witchfinder General

I thought setting it in the 1970s was a rather inspired idea because you get all this great music and a instant understanding of the characters.

K. Waste
Feb 27, 2014

MORAL:
To the vector belong the spoils.

Hollismason posted:

I thought setting it in the 1970s was a rather inspired idea because you get all this great music and a instant understanding of the characters.

That, too. Like I said before it even came out, spiritually, it's referring a lot more to the de Laurentis Kong than the C. Cooper Kong.

HannibalBarca posted:

Max Borenstein wrote it, so I'm not sure just how intentional the badness is.

He's only got one other released feature writing-credit to his name, and while all of the pictures he's worked on have doubtlessly had multiple credited and uncredited writers, there's nothing in Godzilla that suggests that the sheer level of "this is a movie" dialog in Skull Island wasn't deliberate. The fact of the matter is that normal chaps like you and I really don't have any clarity over who wrote what or why, so all we can go by is the final result. Which is to say, there is nothing 'accidental' about the final result. Shea Whigham and Jason Mitchell, on paper, should absolutely not work as an duo, but they do, because each actor knows exactly what the dialog is 'supposed to be.' It's classic B-movie, car-dealer acting.

Schwarzwald
Jul 27, 2004

Don't Blink
I was thinking about how the movie uses the Hollow Earth "hypothesis" in it's setting, and I think I've realized something important:

the "No Real Forests" idea would mesh tremendously well with Kaiju fiction.

wdarkk
Oct 26, 2007

Friends: Protected
World: Saved
Crablettes: Eaten

Schwarzwald posted:

I was thinking about how the movie uses the Hollow Earth "hypothesis" in it's setting, and I think I've realized something important:

the "No Real Forests" idea would mesh tremendously well with Kaiju fiction.

You'd have to be careful, because if you have more than one supertree you might accidentally make your Kaiju look small rather than the tree look huge.

I say tree because the correct way to do this is to have only one tree.

DeimosRising
Oct 17, 2005

ˇHola SEA!


Schwarzwald posted:

I was thinking about how the movie uses the Hollow Earth "hypothesis" in it's setting, and I think I've realized something important:

the "No Real Forests" idea would mesh tremendously well with Kaiju fiction.

It's almost explicitly the backstory of Godzilla '14

Takezio
Nov 7, 2011
Saw this today, it was pretty good! As someone who doesn't know much about kaiju movies aside from the names of some of them, I'm excited for where they go next with this. Was not ready for that spider though, nope.

Jackson and Reily were great, and Hiddleston existed to be pretty which wasn't a surprise :D

Raku
Nov 7, 2012

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Roll Tide

Schwarzwald posted:

I was thinking about how the movie uses the Hollow Earth "hypothesis" in it's setting, and I think I've realized something important:

the "No Real Forests" idea would mesh tremendously well with Kaiju fiction.

so you're saying the amazon is biollante

Mokelumne Trekka
Nov 22, 2015

Soon.

Another improvement I noticed from G14 (this is somewhat anecdotal): the audience was really into Kong, laughing at the right moments and lots of oohs and ahhs whereas Godzilla not much reaction beside the two Muto kills at the end. Audience was disengaged - no wonder, the characters weren't engaging and the exciting scenes were few. Saw each in packed theaters.

Kaiju movies should be fun

Mecha Gojira
Jun 23, 2006

Jack Nissan
What's great about Godzilla is that when he appears, everything stops.. People are screaming in an airport or at a shelter as the MUTOs reign terror, but that first foot landing, that first roar, and every shuts up. Everyone stops moving for just a moment. It's fantastic every time, but that first reveal in Honolulu is amazing - when the music stops as you pan up the building, punctuated by the soldiers launching their flares, and then there he is, even if he's still far too huge to fully comprehend at this point.

He is awesome in the original sense of the word - his very appearance doesn't elicit cheers or screams, just silence and an incredible sense of awe.

VolticSurge
Jul 23, 2013

Just your friendly neighborhood photobomb raptor.



Mokelumne Trekka posted:

Kaiju movies should be fun

I don't think Edwards got the memo when he directed G14.

HannibalBarca
Sep 11, 2016

History shows, again and again, how nature points out the folly of man.

VolticSurge posted:

I don't think Edwards got the memo when he directed G14.

Edwards was essentially trying for a half-baked version of G'54 or G'84, but didn't have the creative imagination (or freedom, depending on how much studio meddling you want to assume happened) to make that happen because Godzilla wasn't given anything to actually do. So instead the movie ended up seeming like a much more drab and technically competent version of Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster.

duz
Jul 11, 2005

Come on Ilhan, lets go bag us a shitpost


HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:

I love that the radio announcer is concerned with canonicity.

That's what happens when you're tuned into Exposition Radio.

Winifred Madgers
Feb 12, 2002

Saw this today, liked it. Bobblehead Nixon was definitely one of the most powerful and memorable images. I'm not too experienced in reading film imagery but it evoked demon possession as they passed through the chaos of cloud and combat.

Also whoever first mentioned the possibility of John C. Reilly just messing with them about the ants, I can see that now but I was totally on board with him as he said it; I was just like, I've seen enough crazy stuff already that if I want to live, I'd better not doubt the guy who's been here for 28 years.

Schwarzwald
Jul 27, 2004

Don't Blink

turn left hillary!! noo posted:

Also whoever first mentioned the possibility of John C. Reilly just messing with them about the ants, I can see that now but I was totally on board with him as he said it; I was just like, I've seen enough crazy stuff already that if I want to live, I'd better not doubt the guy who's been here for 28 years.

I'm the same way. I want to believe in the giant ants.

Maxwell Lord
Dec 12, 2008

I am drowning.
There is no sign of land.
You are coming down with me, hand in unlovable hand.

And I hope you die.

I hope we both die.


:smith:

Grimey Drawer

HannibalBarca posted:

Edwards was essentially trying for a half-baked version of G'54 or G'84, but didn't have the creative imagination (or freedom, depending on how much studio meddling you want to assume happened) to make that happen because Godzilla wasn't given anything to actually do. So instead the movie ended up seeming like a much more drab and technically competent version of Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster.

I don't agree- I don't think he made this a 60s style "Godzilla fights another monster" movie by accident. I think he wisely used the whole worm's-eye-view angle and its attendant "realism" (for lack of a better word) to make the audience think they were going to get something like G54 but instead introduce them to the full-on unrealism of kaiju battling kaiju and Godzilla as the apparent savior of humanity.

And now he's gonna fight King Kong. The experiment was worth it.

HannibalBarca
Sep 11, 2016

History shows, again and again, how nature points out the folly of man.

Maxwell Lord posted:

I don't agree- I don't think he made this a 60s style "Godzilla fights another monster" movie by accident. I think he wisely used the whole worm's-eye-view angle and its attendant "realism" (for lack of a better word) to make the audience think they were going to get something like G54 but instead introduce them to the full-on unrealism of kaiju battling kaiju and Godzilla as the apparent savior of humanity.

And now he's gonna fight King Kong. The experiment was worth it.

Disagree. The 60s Godzilla movies were more charming and lighthearted. They had human casts that were often full of large hams - see the assassins from Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster, Mr. Tako the pharmaceutical executive from King Kong vs. Godzilla, or Nick Adams in Godzilla vs. Monster Zero. These movies were first and foremost about fun; the only "purely" serious monster brawl Godzilla movie of the 60s, I would say, is Mothra vs. Godzilla, and that movie gave Godzilla a lot more to do and a lot more room to breathe as a character than G'14 did. That's why I use Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster as my touchstone here: Smog Monster was weird, but if you take away the weirdness, it's a very grim and serious movie about the dangers of pollution; the smog monster chokes people to death and turns them into skeletons, basically. It's also not really a movie about Godzilla, who shows up halfway through unannounced and with little explanation to fight the Smog Monster and save humanity. Similarly, G'14 was overwhelmingly interested more in the MUTOs than in Godzilla, from a narrative perspective. The extent of Godzilla's actions and motivations as a character was to resolve the plot that the MUTOs set in motion.

HannibalBarca fucked around with this message at 13:44 on Mar 20, 2017

CelticPredator
Oct 11, 2013
🍀👽🆚🪖🏋

When I saw Godzilla opening night the audience was way into it. Every time Godzilla showed up, applause were met. Groans happened when it cut away and cheers when he used his atomic breath both times.

Vintersorg
Mar 3, 2004

President of
the Brendan Fraser
Fan Club



If I showed the director that post (not that I know him but I have been following him on instagram) - he'd punch you right in the loving face. No one cared? From the looks of things - a lot of people were deeply invested into the movie. You don't fly out to Vietnam and go ... well, who gives a poo poo.

E:

Pictured, a crew and director who doesn't care what they are making. gently caress off.


Vintersorg fucked around with this message at 15:41 on Mar 20, 2017

Basebf555
Feb 29, 2008

The greatest sensual pleasure there is is to know the desires of another!

Fun Shoe
The only person in the cast that I could see making that argument for is Hiddleston, but in fairness to him the character required that he be even-keel and calm under stress. I think Larson was just fine, she seemed appropriately terrified/awe struck at the proper moments. Jackson and Reilly were excellent as usual, and the ensemble of soldiers was very well developed for a King Kong movie. Overall I don't see where that complaint would be coming from.

got any sevens
Feb 9, 2013

by Cyrano4747
Yeah I've heard Vietnamese are pretty chill with americans now, since they beat us.

Jerkface
May 21, 2001

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE DEAD, MOTHERFUCKER?

Fallen Rib
My only complaint is they had eugene cordero and didn't let him be funny

Mecha Gojira
Jun 23, 2006

Jack Nissan

got any sevens posted:

Yeah I've heard Vietnamese are pretty chill with americans now, since they beat us.

Vietnam has always loved America and just wants to be our friend, going all the way back to Ho Chi Minh and his letter to Woodrow Wilson about Asian Self-Determination. But we've always been too loving racist to reciprocate.

Didn't realize they actually filmed in Vietnam, though. That's really cool.

Megaman's Jockstrap
Jul 16, 2000

What a horrible thread to have a post.

Mokelumne Trekka posted:

Kaiju movies should be fun

Godzilla '14 has a fuckin nuclear lizard throat-gently caress the bad guy with radioactive fire. On what planet is that not fun.

What you're actually saying is that kaiju movies should be a trifle; I disagree.

Snowglobe of Doom
Mar 30, 2012

sucks to be right

Mecha Gojira posted:

Didn't realize they actually filmed in Vietnam, though. That's really cool.

Yeah they filmed in Oahu, (Hawaii), northern Australia (Queensland) and Vietnam.
http://www.atlasofwonders.com/2017/03/kong-skull-island-filming-locations.html

Apparently the cast were terrified the entire time they were filming in the Australian outback because the safety officer told them that everything there could kill them.

Mecha Gojira
Jun 23, 2006

Jack Nissan
My favorite part of that article is that Hiddleston drove south to surf and hang out with Chris Hemsworth and get away from all the poo poo that can kill you, to find out that there's been shark sightings in the water there too.

Australia is truly the real-life Skull Island.

Happy Noodle Boy
Jul 3, 2002


Can't wait to see a Kaiju movie weaponize Australia.

Al Cu Ad Solte
Nov 30, 2005
Searching for
a righteous cause

Megaman's Jockstrap posted:

Godzilla '14 has a fuckin nuclear lizard throat-gently caress the bad guy with radioactive fire. On what planet is that not fun.

What you're actually saying is that kaiju movies should be a trifle; I disagree.

Yeah, and that poo poo happened at the end after two hours of following around the most boring protagonist while he searched for his pointless wife, sandwiched between other characters, whose names I can't even remember, looking very stern and serious.

Sir Kodiak
May 14, 2007


I was onboard with Aaron Taylor-Johnson's reserved performance, but, yeah, it's not exactly Samuel L. Jackson screaming at a giant monkey against a wall of flame.

Basebf555
Feb 29, 2008

The greatest sensual pleasure there is is to know the desires of another!

Fun Shoe

Sir Kodiak posted:

I was onboard with Aaron Taylor-Johnson's reserved performance, but, yeah, it's not exactly Samuel L. Jackson screaming at a giant monkey against a wall of flame.

I think it was a fine performance, but the problem was there wasn't a Jackson or Reilly to balance him out. Cranston was maybe going to fill that role but then got taken out too early in the story. I really believe they would change that if they could go back and do it again, having Cranston's manic quality to balance out Taylor-Johnson would have helped a lot.

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CelticPredator
Oct 11, 2013
🍀👽🆚🪖🏋

Ford was good nice dude. I liked him.

Edit. I know someone's gonna be like "Who is ford!??" it was ATJ's character in Godzilla. Hell yeah I remember his name. That movie owns.

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