CineD Genchat 2024: I don't know why I watch one of these

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Cinema Discusso > CineD Genchat 2024: I don't know why I watch one of these

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therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

~~gently caress you all, you bunch of tasteless nobodies!~~ I mean, happy new year, friends!

# ¿ Jan 1, 2024 17:28

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# ¿ May 10, 2024 22:40

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

ShoogaSlim posted:

first ever cinema discusso movie of the year thread is signed and sealed.

top 15 movies posted starting on page 3 here

Sheeeeit, didn�t realise it was going to close. I intended to post my list. Guess that train has sailed.

# ¿ Jan 2, 2024 10:14

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Bright Bart posted:

You can always make the Best of 2024 So Far thread and post your picks.

But I watched them in 2023, Jerry! 2023!

# ¿ Jan 2, 2024 11:13

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Steve Yun posted:

Past Lives is not free on streaming yet

Has anyone seen it yet. It it worth buying on Blu-ray blind

Extremely good. Not sure it�s a rewatch film but worth seeing at least once.

# ¿ Jan 3, 2024 12:01

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Data Graham posted:

This may be kind of an E/N post, but it involves film literacy and I needed to get these thoughts down somewhere so this seemed the best place.

There's a kind of film genre that I've been noticing as a through-line in a lot of recent movies, in particular the ones that a person I know is apparently very drawn to; it's the kind that centers around a protagonist who is billed as ~having a DREAM~ that is all but a compulsion in nature, something he has to pursue, something the pursuit of which is presented as implicitly noble. Examples: The Astronaut Farmer (Billy Bob Thornton's dream is to build a rocket and fly it into space himself), Ford v. Ferrari ("WHO ARE YOU", "A RACING DRIVER"), The World's Fastest Indian (Anthony Hopkins must set a speed record at Bonneville or die trying). Also a lot of sports movies and biopics about musicians; films like Ali and Ray come to mind.

The person in question seems to find what I think is an unhealthy amount of self-fulfillment in projecting himself into these movies since I'm pretty sure he envisions himself as being exactly this kind of person, whose dream of Jonathan Livingston Seagull-esque speed or flight or achievement of physical breakthroughs is so self-evidently noble that everyone around him should just immediately understand and self-sacrificially support it.

And there's nothing wrong with the way these stories are presented in these movies at a conceptual level; it's fine and laudable to want to push yourself to achieve great things. But I also think it foments a poisonous feedback loop in some people's minds who are predisposed to a certain kind of self-centeredness and contempt for society and "normies" (for lack of a better word). To hear this person say it, you have to chase your dream, you have to want it. And if you don't want something enough, or you don't pursue your goal to the fullest possible extent and to the sacrifice of all you have and all you are, you're a garbage person and a waste of life and irrelevant to the conversation. Being a badass is just a matter of willpower and refusal to ever give up, etc.

There is a variety of ways a film can present the framing that leads to this mindset, some more egregiously than others. I feel like the cutover to happens when other people are required to work to help the protagonist fulfill his dream. Like for example in Indian the guy's pursuit of his dream of speed is self-funded, it's not to anyone else's detriment (except making noise in the morning and almost burning his neighbor's house down); the townspeople pull together to send him to America just as a nice gesture for a likable old weird guy. But in Ferrari Ken Miles pursues his singleminded desire to drive race cars to the degree that it makes him unemployable and impossible to get along with by anyone except his long-suffering wife, and Carroll Shelby has to stick his neck out again and again in order to secure Miles' test-driver job and keep him there in spite of Ford's persistent resistance; and in Astronaut Farmer the guy puts his entire life savings into building his rocket�and then, alarmingly (to me)�his wife's father dies and she unhesitatingly gives him her entire $X00,000 inheritance in order to allow him to keep going. (When I saw that movie I wondered why, when the wife first pushed back against his crazy singleminded project, the guy in question didn't shout "bitch" or "don't stick your dick in crazy" like he usually does whenever a wife or girlfriend protests against the protagonist in a movie, like the wives in The Right Stuff. Turns out it's because in this case she ends up laying down her entire life and fortune just so he can go to space like he wants to. And apparently this is supposed to be seen as noble and praiseworthy behavior for a wife and partner.)

So I guess my point is�am I wrong in thinking this kind of narrative thread is playing on a latent pernicious streak in some people to think of themselves as just too special for the mundane world, that they're just so cool everyone should drop everything and dedicate their lives to sending this one guy to Le Mans or Bonneville or space? Or is this just a me problem / this person problem? We've always collectively desired Great Man stories but I feel like it may be a kind of a thing a lot of people are being encouraged to react to in a certain way and it can't be helping society in the age of FYGM.

How many other movies/stories follow this pattern? Do any subvert it (like by showing how a quixotic quest just ends up nearly destroying the person's life and that's a good thing because other people's lives actually do have meaning and value too, not just the solipsistic protagonist's)? I'm sure I could think of some (lol yeah there's Don Quixote)

Also what would be a good name for this style of movie that I can use to derisively refer to it. Like an "I'm Just So Awesome the Rules Don't Apply To Me" movie

Interesting. I think there is quite a lot of overlap with your friend and his perception of the world and following one's dream to the detriment of everything and everyone else, and a lot of Ayn Rand's characters like Howard Roark and John Galt*. It's a hyper-individualistic view of the world, and I think inherently selfish. it's always about one person (usually a man, so add misogyny to the mix) fighting for their dream - very rarely do we see films or stories about groups or communities banding together to accomplish something amazing.

*https://imgur.com/a/J0Hbron

Gaius Marius posted:

Look in the mirror. You are doing a lot of castigation for someone who is implying others hold the general mass in contempt.

I didn't read it like that and I think you're being a bit harsh.

# ¿ Jan 3, 2024 18:48

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Data Graham posted:

That would track, and I bet if challenged he would say "yes, and people like me/Ken Miles/Carroll Shelby/Rand al'Thor/pick your favorite self-styled Chosen One or Randian ubermensch etc serve a valuable purpose to the world, which is to inspire everyone else to something greater than their dreary beige lives. That is how humanity elevates itself, by each person individually trying to become Alexander the Great or Chuck Yeager or Napoleon, not by dreaming of nothing greater than being a cog in a machine or a Matrix battery. That's how we advance as a species"

Which is kind of terrifying to me, it feels like this is how you get people talking themselves into leading suicide cults or taking over countries. Because ultimately we know all the fallacies of greatmanitude, and we know that mankind doesn't advance through individual flashes of "eureka" brilliance out of a sea of boring stasis; all of humanity slowly marches forward and one person might be a half a step ahead but if he wasn't there someone else would be along shortly to accomplish the same feat. Which isn't to minimize personal achievement, it's just to argue for the value of community and colloquy, especially when the result is greater than the sum of its parts. Fuckin billy bob thornton couldn't have built his rocket if he hadn't stolen the plans from NASA

Right. In short, your friend sounds like an rear end in a top hat.

# ¿ Jan 3, 2024 21:46

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Gripweed posted:

Speaking of good jokes I made that no one responded to, in the Gundam thread people were talking about Gundam Seed and the practical differences between Naturals and Coordinators, how Coordinators had an easier time at anything they turned their hand to but still needed to work hard and practice to get really good at something and there was still space for Naturals to be better than them like Mu La Flaga being a Natural and still one of the best pilots in the setting, and I sad that a Natural could beat a Coordinator as long as they never saved anything for the swim back.

And it got nothing! Not even a single lol. That was crushing.

This has got to be a schtick now, right?

# ¿ Jan 4, 2024 11:22

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Lobster Henry posted:

Thank you, this is really interesting stuff. A lot it didn�t come into focus for me, unfortunately. Like, for example, the Tower Master seemed so thinly characterised that I couldn�t attach a lot of weight to the idea of �malice� that seemed so important in the end. But it sounds like I could stand to read some more about the film, mull it over, and then try a second watch.

It didn�t resonate with me either.

# ¿ Jan 4, 2024 20:40

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Is Godzilla minus one worth watching?

# ¿ Jan 4, 2024 21:51

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Based on the above Godzilla Minus One seems worth watching, thanks.

Azhais posted:

So is A Boy and His Heron a sequel to A Boy and His Dog?

No, it�s the sequel to Joy Story: Joy and Her Heron (2019)

# ¿ Jan 4, 2024 22:40

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

PKMN Trainer Red posted:

Maestro was probably my biggest disappointment of last year. It looks and sounds like a million bucks, and Carey Mulligan is really putting in the work, but in terms of a biopic it's almost aggressively unhelpful. Some of Bernstein's biggest/most noteworthy achievements are literally just sidelined to a single line of dialogue in the middle of the movie in order to fit in a few dozen more 'you know, I think he's a lovely husband' scenes.

I saw someone on Reddit say that it was like having a conversation with the most gorgeous person you've ever seen while you slowly realize they have nothing interesting to say, and I think that's a fair appraisal.

Oof. That�s a very accurate description. Mulligan is terrific, agreed.

Bright Bart posted:

I have prosopagnosia* and really didn't recognize the best James Bond.

*It's bad. If I'm giving away anything you can put on a fake mustache or even just a hat and come straight round again like that gag in movies and shows. Patients think I'm a tremendous pompous a-hole until I explain the situation.

So why do we think you�re a tremendous pompous a-hole?

(Only kidding, I think you�re great!)

# ¿ Jan 6, 2024 10:59

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Ugh, I hated Atonement. I thought it was incredibly manipulative

# ¿ Jan 6, 2024 23:23

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

an egg posted:

the book is loving creepy and i hate it, i haven't seen the film

I haven�t read it but I find the other Ian McEwan novels I�ve read to be terribly cold. So I�m not surprised. Don�t see it. It�s a horrid, well-made film.

# ¿ Jan 7, 2024 12:27

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

FreudianSlippers posted:

No it's a Andrzej movie.

Little Otik is a Jan movie.

# ¿ Jan 8, 2024 21:38

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Ghost Leviathan posted:

It should totally be the second sequel to S1mone.

What�s the first sequel: - a cross-dressing robot called 2tsie?

# ¿ Jan 10, 2024 09:03

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Carpet posted:

Zone of Interest definitely deserves to be seen on the best cinema setup possible, which does sound like an odd recommendation for a film set in Auschwitz - but the score and sound design do so much. There's a preview screening of it at the BFI IMAX next weekend which I think would be incredibly overwhelming.

Very much so. Watched it at home and wished I�d gone to a cinema.

# ¿ Jan 11, 2024 22:50

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Lobster Henry posted:

Many boring superficial people exist. however! people having surface-level reactions to movies or art in general doesn�t necessarily mean that they aren�t intelligent people who are deeply interested in other topics.

(They�re unlikely to ever be my besties, though, tbh)

On The Boy and the Heron, I really don�t know how to draw the line or attempt to critically distinguish between �a bunch of half-baked elements that don�t cohere� and �a film that trusts the audience�s intelligence and allows them to actively collaborate in the construction of its meaning by handing them the ingredients but refusing readymade explanations or explicit connections.�

Maybe it�s just personal taste? I mean, I can�t logically refute the second position. But I infinitely prefer Spirited Away because it works for me on, like, a basic, immediate, emotional level as a drama. It�s engaging as a narrative whereas I can�t get past viewing TBaTH coldly, as a thought exercise, at best.

I think that is simply down to personal judgment. I am in the former camp, and as a reasonably intelligent film watcher it simply didn't move me. I think quite a lot of criticism is trying to articulate, explain and analyse how a work makes one feel. To me, if a film successfully makes me feel something then it has succeeded. That said, films that are badly written, acted, shot, or generally badly made will generally fail to move me, and hence fail as films.

Speaking of which i just had to submit my BAFTA votes for Best Film, which was very hard. I think I know what my top three are, but ranking them was near-impossible. In the end I went with

1 The Zone of Interest
2 Poor Things
3 All of Us Strangers
4 Anatomy of a Fall
5 Killers of The Flower Moon

I saw KOTM this week, after it was long-listed, and I was impressed. Yes, it's a bit long, and there are questions about who is centered in the story, but I still thought it was really good. As a film about race, politics and greed in America I thought it worked very well well. It's a truly horrifying story, exquisitely made. You can really see the money on the screen - impeccable costuming, set design, etc. I also think that Leo is quite a brave actor to take on the role of such a weak character - not every leading man is prepared to do that.

# ¿ Jan 12, 2024 13:45

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

distortion park posted:

He's a great choice for the role too as many viewers (including me) will go on with (unconscious) expectations about the kind of character Di Caprio plays. And then you get to see and feel those expectations unravelled which makes the film all the more shocking

Yes, he�s very well cast too. I think it�s brave to agree to play such a weak character, particularly when you have actors who, for instance, won�t allow themselves getting punched on camera because they have to be the good guy/hero all the time

# ¿ Jan 12, 2024 15:00

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Gripweed posted:

The first time Dwayne Johnson tried to be a serious actor, dropping the "The Rock" from his credit and playing an interesting character in a complex movie for grownups, the ignorant, lazy, stupid audience and critics threw a fit and made the movie flop. Blame them, not him.

If you�re referring to Southland Tales then I am not entirely sure that critics and audiences actively made that film flop because he dropped The Rock from his name (or that the lesson he should have taken from it was �never show myself getting beaten up on screen�). Doesn�t Statham have something similar?

therattle fucked around with this message at 16:33 on Jan 12, 2024

# ¿ Jan 12, 2024 16:29

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Lobster Henry posted:

What Mike Leigh film should I watch next? Ive seen:

Abigail�s Party
Vera Drake
Topsy Turvy
Happy Go Lucky
Mr Turner

Secrets & Lies. So good.

Gripweed posted:

El Mariachi is extremely good, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico is a lot of fun if you don�t just recoil at the sight of Johnny Depp, which at this point is understandable.

This would have been a great reply to Lobster Henry's post.

FreudianSlippers posted:

Empirical measures of movie quality
-Does someone's head explode?
-Does someone drink J&B Whiskey?
-Is there a guy in a rubber suit?
-Does it explore the human condition in a deep and thoughtful manner?
-is there a split diopter shot?
-Is there a gnarly stunt that makes you go "ouch that's gotta hurt!"?

If yes to one or more it's empirically a good film.

This guy gets it.

Tried to watch Nyad. Dreadful. Awful, awful, heavy-handed script, which gives the actors nothing to work with, not helped by the fact that they are being badly directed to boot. If I didn't know that Bening and Foster were really good I would have thought that they were just bad actors. We stopped after 10-15 minutes and started watching The Burial instead, which is, so far, rather enjoyable.

# ¿ Jan 12, 2024 23:56

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

MacheteZombie posted:

Finally the hard science

Yeah, although I do wonder if it should be two from the list, not one.

# ¿ Jan 13, 2024 00:02

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Gorn Myson posted:

Empirically if you thought highly of The Zone of Interest but thought The Boy and the Heron was bad, you are a paedophile.

gently caress.

# ¿ Jan 13, 2024 01:35

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Finished The Burial. Solid courtroom drama elevated by Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones (good individually and together), and some real feeling in the story. Nicely directed. I wouldn�t necessarily urge you to see it but if it piqued your interest then by all means go ahead.

# ¿ Jan 14, 2024 00:54

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

I felt like some trash TV, so I watched Reacher first episode tonight, which did what it needed to. I was quite amused though: in the first scene set in a diner in Georgia they have these very beautiful Louis Poulsen mid century pendant lights.

# ¿ Jan 17, 2024 23:42

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

PKMN Trainer Red posted:

Reacher is a perfect television program for dads. Like, they figured out the exact formula that would appeal to dads and then condensed it into an 'action-only' format and went with it. The writers room collectively watched Yellowstone and was like, 'This would be better if they stopped talking about ranching and just beat people up and sometimes the pretty lady got her boobs out', and an executive was like YES THAT'S WHAT WE NEED.

I�ve got a cousin who used to be a studio exec (he found the script for Field of Dreams) and he likes the books a lot as genre fiction. I asked
him about the series as he has very good taste:

quote:

It�s ok. Competent, entertaining �Dad TV�.

As a dad, it did what it needed to. Competently is the right way to describe it.

# ¿ Jan 18, 2024 00:07

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Jay Rust posted:

How large can jack reacher be when Tom cruise was allowed to play him.

I think that was a major complaint with the film, which the TV series comprehensively deals with.

# ¿ Jan 18, 2024 15:10

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Basebf555 posted:

I mean don't misunderstand, the show is trash. It's just really fun, satisfying trash.

Yeah, exactly. It�s trash, but well-made trash.

# ¿ Jan 18, 2024 21:39

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Flying Zamboni posted:

I just finished watching Barry (really good btw) and am probably going to watch Reacher next because after four seasons of dark comedy about the soul killing nature of violence I would honestly love to just watch a great big man destroy some bad guys.

Yeah, Barry was good. We are about to watch the last episode of Fargo S5. My tasteful cousin also highly recommended A Spy Among Friends, which is really excellent. Extremely good writing. If you enjoyed Tinker Tailor it�ll be right up your alley.

# ¿ Jan 18, 2024 22:11

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Schwarzwald posted:

The dude walks like a cartoon.

That's basically because it's a live-action cartoon about a big man beating up baddies. (And sometimes that's what one wants).

# ¿ Jan 19, 2024 11:37

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

The Peccadillo posted:

Got a pretty good score on yesterday's but could not for the life of me think of a movie Scarlett Johansen would've been nominated for an Oscar for

Under The Skin?

# ¿ Jan 20, 2024 10:28

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

ShoogaSlim posted:

marriage story

Oh yeah! Haven�t checked but that feels right.

# ¿ Jan 20, 2024 10:37

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

The Peccadillo posted:

I guessed Lost in Translation, which was wrong

That�s a decent guess tho.

# ¿ Jan 20, 2024 10:41

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

This is a splendid study on swearing in films

https://stephenfollows.com/whats-the-sweariest-movie/

# ¿ Jan 22, 2024 11:13

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Gonz posted:

I went to see The Beekeeper tonight.

It is the most absurd, over the top Statham action vehicle yet. It might be the most Statham-est Statham that has ever Statham�d.

It�s one part The Terminal List, one part John Wick, with a little bit of Smokin� Aces and the original Terminator film thrown in for flavor.

It�s also the first time I can recall Jeremy Irons using his American accent since he was Simon Gruber.

Caught a matinee for 5 bucks; was absolutely worth it. Just absolutely bonkers cartoon style action and fighting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzINZZ6iqxY

Does he not launch swarms of angry bees at his enemies? 1/10, not enough angry bees

# ¿ Jan 24, 2024 08:18

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Jenny Agutter posted:

Anyone watching Sexy Beast (2024) the Paramount+ prequel series to Jonathan Glazer�s Sexy Beast (2000)?

I don�t know if this is a joke or not.

# ¿ Jan 24, 2024 16:34

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

therattle posted:

I don�t know if this is a joke or not.

Actually, thinking back on it I remember someone saying a few years ago that they were trying to do something with a tv version (I used to work for the producer and they were looking through all of their old films to see what TV or other IP could be derived from them). So probably not a joke. I�m glad they got it off the ground.

Just checked the credits and am surprised that the original producer (Jeremy Thomas) didn�t get a credit.

therattle fucked around with this message at 16:51 on Jan 24, 2024

# ¿ Jan 24, 2024 16:47

therattle: Jul 24, 2007; Soiled Meat

Mordiceius posted:

I remember seeing a Tiktok a while back that was talking about how a large number of French titles of films just add "Sex" to the film title. For example "Eurotrip" just becomes "Sex Trip"

In Europe this is very normal.

Failed Imagineer posted:

A Royale With Sex

SuperMechagodzilla posted:

The Hillary Swank race drama movie Freedom Writers is known as �crire Pour Exister In French.

It�s not a great title, but the bizarre thing is that �crire Pour Exister translates back to English as Write To Exist.

So the French is an untranslatable pun that only works in English, yet wasn�t used for the actual English title of this very American movie.

That's fantastic. You couldn't write it!

# ¿ Jan 25, 2024 20:05