My Friends Are Film Nerds
So what do we do for a three day trip to the Jersey Shore? Watch films! And I may not have been able to wax as lyrical and knowledgeably about direction, camera work and cinematography (I was the costumes and continuity girl), but I still have thoughts!
The first two were picked by the guys. You can tell.
1. Inglourious Basterds
This movie made me very uncomfortable at parts, because well . . . it has Nazis in it. And as I might have said before my grandfathers were both Jewish during the Holocaust (hell, my father's father only met Grandma, because he was moved to a work camp in her town.) In a way though, the awkwardness stemmed from the fact that I felt the portrayal of the Nazis was pretty gimmicky throughout the whole movie and this contrasted with the natural fear they incite, even just on pinciple. It didn't feel right and it didn't feel respectful to history at all. Tarantino got out his toys and threw some Kensington gore to entertain the boys. I do admire his mastery though.
But c0ntrarywise is right, Hans Landa is a brilliant villain. In many of his scenes I was literally hiding behind a cushion in heart stopping terror. That calm, the inane smile and giggle that you know hides a psychopathic murderer. A murderer who not only kills, but plays with his victims for the chase. And most terrifying I think, was that otherwise I would fully admire the character. He's intelligent enough to manipulate the system so to his advantage, fluent in many languages and, well, attractive.
Verdict: I'm glad I saw it and I'll watch Hans Landa again for how amazing Chrisoph Waltz was, but it simultaneously hit a deep emotional chord and felt too shallow (because of the nonchalant violence and humour, both of which made the movie enjoyable), so probably won't watch again. Although, I might. I don't know.
BUT DON'T GET ME WRONG, THIS MOVIE WAS INTENSE. I mean all one has to do is pretend to be Aldo Raine from the trailer to understand why it would be fun; say it with me: Killin' Nahzees!. Yeah, America's got big guns. *pffts*
So simultaneously feel this movie is great, but don't like watching it. Huh.
2. Super Eight
Meh. Again, the boys were all hyped and ZOMG THIS MOVIE IZSH AMAZIN!!!! I realized that I absolutely despise Abrams' directing style and I can't say why (other than the lens flare, which was almost but not quite as excessive as Star Trek). They pulled out all the stops in the sense that I feel the production team picked out pieces from the correct bins so that they had the right pieces, but didn't check to see whether they fit together when you threw them on the slab.
The best part was the credits, because kids creating an "amateur" camp zombie flick. In a way the "directors" of that film-in-film took themselves so seriously that they awful end product was hilarious and endearing, but the mastery that Spielberg and Abrams utilized to make something unmemorable and BORING made the movie overall a depressing experience.
3. Memento
I rented this for a group of people who have never seen it and I never realized how much blatant forshadowing there is. BUT that isn't a bad thing!
I love this movie, but I really can't say anything or it'll ruin the experience. Watching a Memento virgin experience it is great fun though and it IS necessary viewing for everyone (although warning, excessive use of the f-word and violence). Go out, buy/rent it, make sure you have enough time to watch it in one sitting and prepare for a mind-fuck of the highest order. You will be confused pretty much the whole movie up until the last ten minutes, but it is heart wrenching and has a brilliant screenplay and actually involves using your brain (horrors! plot is not shoved up your nose on a silver platter). I also didn't realize how much this movie lacks music and it seems a risky choice, but it works.
4. Shawshank Redemption
It's harder to review movies you've A) seen and B) love to death.
SO WATCH IT.
5. Shaun of the Dead
DITTO the ABOVE.
Also, I never realized Dylan Moran was in this and his character is so different from Bernard Black I have to award him major acting props.
I'm in the process of making some crossover . . . things. The type you only make at 3AM hopped up on ginger ale. Will post later, but I'm trying to find places to download the movies above (videos preferred, screencaps would be lovely though). So if the flist has any helpful suggestions on where/how I could go about doing that they would be much appreciated.
Oh, and I just bought a new iPod and am up for naming suggestions! And I don't go in for those wimpy common names. I bestow names I love, but would never be cruel enough to give children. So the trend is: Mycroft (computer), Cornelius (printer), Elijah (Kindle), Beatrice and Renee (glasses). Also, RIP my old ipods: Mortimer and Bertram.
So far I'm considering:
-Newt(on)
-Maurice
-Ichabod
-Lysander
-Phineas
I ordered all birthdays presents for summer in one heap of Amazon so I now am in possession of three shiny, new copies of Good Omens and I'm not sure if I can give them up, because, uhh, they're my new loves guys. Except I didn't get one with the sneaker-clad angel on it, which is kinda disappointing, but my subconscious made up for it as I had a dream last night about Aziraphale and Crowley boating. Oh god, the mini-series better not suck.
The first two were picked by the guys. You can tell.
1. Inglourious Basterds
This movie made me very uncomfortable at parts, because well . . . it has Nazis in it. And as I might have said before my grandfathers were both Jewish during the Holocaust (hell, my father's father only met Grandma, because he was moved to a work camp in her town.) In a way though, the awkwardness stemmed from the fact that I felt the portrayal of the Nazis was pretty gimmicky throughout the whole movie and this contrasted with the natural fear they incite, even just on pinciple. It didn't feel right and it didn't feel respectful to history at all. Tarantino got out his toys and threw some Kensington gore to entertain the boys. I do admire his mastery though.
But c0ntrarywise is right, Hans Landa is a brilliant villain. In many of his scenes I was literally hiding behind a cushion in heart stopping terror. That calm, the inane smile and giggle that you know hides a psychopathic murderer. A murderer who not only kills, but plays with his victims for the chase. And most terrifying I think, was that otherwise I would fully admire the character. He's intelligent enough to manipulate the system so to his advantage, fluent in many languages and, well, attractive.
Verdict: I'm glad I saw it and I'll watch Hans Landa again for how amazing Chrisoph Waltz was, but it simultaneously hit a deep emotional chord and felt too shallow (because of the nonchalant violence and humour, both of which made the movie enjoyable), so probably won't watch again. Although, I might. I don't know.
BUT DON'T GET ME WRONG, THIS MOVIE WAS INTENSE. I mean all one has to do is pretend to be Aldo Raine from the trailer to understand why it would be fun; say it with me: Killin' Nahzees!. Yeah, America's got big guns. *pffts*
So simultaneously feel this movie is great, but don't like watching it. Huh.
2. Super Eight
Meh. Again, the boys were all hyped and ZOMG THIS MOVIE IZSH AMAZIN!!!! I realized that I absolutely despise Abrams' directing style and I can't say why (other than the lens flare, which was almost but not quite as excessive as Star Trek). They pulled out all the stops in the sense that I feel the production team picked out pieces from the correct bins so that they had the right pieces, but didn't check to see whether they fit together when you threw them on the slab.
The best part was the credits, because kids creating an "amateur" camp zombie flick. In a way the "directors" of that film-in-film took themselves so seriously that they awful end product was hilarious and endearing, but the mastery that Spielberg and Abrams utilized to make something unmemorable and BORING made the movie overall a depressing experience.
3. Memento
I rented this for a group of people who have never seen it and I never realized how much blatant forshadowing there is. BUT that isn't a bad thing!
I love this movie, but I really can't say anything or it'll ruin the experience. Watching a Memento virgin experience it is great fun though and it IS necessary viewing for everyone (although warning, excessive use of the f-word and violence). Go out, buy/rent it, make sure you have enough time to watch it in one sitting and prepare for a mind-fuck of the highest order. You will be confused pretty much the whole movie up until the last ten minutes, but it is heart wrenching and has a brilliant screenplay and actually involves using your brain (horrors! plot is not shoved up your nose on a silver platter). I also didn't realize how much this movie lacks music and it seems a risky choice, but it works.
4. Shawshank Redemption
It's harder to review movies you've A) seen and B) love to death.
SO WATCH IT.
5. Shaun of the Dead
DITTO the ABOVE.
Also, I never realized Dylan Moran was in this and his character is so different from Bernard Black I have to award him major acting props.
I'm in the process of making some crossover . . . things. The type you only make at 3AM hopped up on ginger ale. Will post later, but I'm trying to find places to download the movies above (videos preferred, screencaps would be lovely though). So if the flist has any helpful suggestions on where/how I could go about doing that they would be much appreciated.
Oh, and I just bought a new iPod and am up for naming suggestions! And I don't go in for those wimpy common names. I bestow names I love, but would never be cruel enough to give children. So the trend is: Mycroft (computer), Cornelius (printer), Elijah (Kindle), Beatrice and Renee (glasses). Also, RIP my old ipods: Mortimer and Bertram.
So far I'm considering:
-Newt(on)
-Maurice
-Ichabod
-Lysander
-Phineas
I ordered all birthdays presents for summer in one heap of Amazon so I now am in possession of three shiny, new copies of Good Omens and I'm not sure if I can give them up, because, uhh, they're my new loves guys. Except I didn't get one with the sneaker-clad angel on it, which is kinda disappointing, but my subconscious made up for it as I had a dream last night about Aziraphale and Crowley boating. Oh god, the mini-series better not suck.