Thoughts on recent movies

[Regal Tiger]

@James D,



2002 version. Not high cinema but it made a big impression on 19 y/o me and is still one of my favorite films.

I read the book some 15 years later. Book is also great, though very different from the the film. Definitely less politically correct, especially the chick Dantés ends up with at the end (who was not in the 2002 film adaptation at all).

You can see the difference between mid-19th Century masculine values vs. early 21st Century popular values just looking at how they gave Dantés a "happy ending" in those two different versions of the same tale.


@POB,



Yeah, films lacking any kind of masculine character arc ring pretty hollow.

I'm replaying Chrono Trigger right now when I have some spare time... one of the best video games ever made, arguably the best JPRG ever made. They just had a dream team director, writer, artist, and composer working on that game.

Two of the most compelling characters in the game have clear masculine character arcs. In a way, they're opposite arcs. One must learn to aside his self-doubt and embrace the role of the hero. The other must set aside his cynical loner-dom and realize he must work as part of a team if he wants any hope of achieving his goals. Former guy never had trouble working with others, but seriously undervalued himself. Latter guy had no trouble valuing himself, yet chronically undervalued others. Both are forced to grow, and it's very satisfying.

Chase

That reminds me of my top 2 favorite video games that came out around the same time

Chrono Cross (apparently it's somehow a sequel to Trigger, not sure how though)

Legend of Dragoon

Not sure how you'd feel about the MC of Cross but I think LoD still holds up decently well

 

[Marty]

No, but it sounds a lot darker

Ah, then I must have misunderstood your description of 365 Days: it sounds from your comment as if that movie is a little more lighthearted?

 

[Atlas IV]

Ah, then I must have misunderstood your description of 365 Days: it sounds from your comment as if that movie is a little more lighthearted?

Yes it's more like erotica for women, like 50 Shades or Twilight.

 

[Bismarck]

I agree with Chase about the 2002 movie version of The Count. Rewatched it recently and loved it once again. Gotta read the book at some point. Even better would be to read it in the original French, but that would be quite the labor... Thanks also for the review of Poor Things, that I will know to steer well clear of. Interesting analysis of Glasshouse as well.

Gonna check out Cinema Paradiso StrayDog thanks for the rec, looks good. I usually love Italian cinema.

I was unable to watch more than 30 minutes of 365 Days, and even those 30 minutes were painful.

The Collector seems interesting...will either read it and then watch the 60s flick or do it the other way around.

Presently I'm rewatching the Nolan Batman triptych, which I consider his finest work. I rewatched Begins for the first time, and loved how there was a clear hero's journey there, something so lacking in most contemporary cinema, because of the feminine imperative, to borrow Rollo Tomassi's turn of phrase.

Recently I've also been rewatching some pretty sweet flicks, like Blade, Heat, The Mask of Zorro, etc. recommended on this thread.

BTW Last Looks is pretty good. It came out in 2021 but still has the right archetypes. Nobody is also a bit of brainless fun. Snack Shack was fun to watch, even though obvi the girl is basically acting like a guy. Still, it could be worse, considering it's a high school flick that came out this year.

 

[POB]

I'm replaying Chrono Trigger right now when I have some spare time... one of the best video games ever made, arguably the best JPRG ever made. They just had a dream team director, writer, artist, and composer working on that game.

Two of the most compelling characters in the game have clear masculine character arcs. In a way, they're opposite arcs. One must learn to aside his self-doubt and embrace the role of the hero. The other must set aside his cynical loner-dom and realize he must work as part of a team if he wants any hope of achieving his goals. Former guy never had trouble working with others, but seriously undervalued himself. Latter guy had no trouble valuing himself, yet chronically undervalued others. Both are forced to grow, and it's very satisfying.

Chase

Holy shit, didn't know you were also a fan.
IMO Chrono is arguably the best video game ever made, including any genre.
Too sad the team didn't get together for the "sequel" Chrono Cross (which is great, but not on the same level).
Just wish they did a remake a la FFVII, it would be so dope

 

[POB]

I was unable to watch more than 30 minutes of 365 Days, and even those 30 minutes were painful.

Yeah, watched it with the ex.
10 minutes into it and we were ragdolling each other in bed

The second one though, not even her was able to finish it.
I just fell asleep while she was giving me a blowjob.
We just called it a night and went to sleep.

 

[Atlas IV]

Here's one for all you macs out there

1979's Saint Jack

An understated yet engrossing character study about a golden-hearted pimp with an unwavering frame. Jack Flowers is an American ex-pat living in Singapore, who dreams of building a fortune by running a brothel.

Produced by "The pope of pop cinema" Roger Corman, executive produced by Hugh Hefner, Directed by auteur director Peter Bogdonovich, and starring rebound character actor Gazzara.

Knowing this grittier, realistic portrait of the city's seedier side would never be greenlit by Singapore officials, they lied. Telling them the film they were making was a paint-by-numbers romance. They had a fake screenplay for it and everything.

With many scenes shot in a sort of documentary style, this film serves as a beautiful portrait of a bygone era in Singapore. You can watch the whole thing here on youtube

I just watched this one. Really cool movie, fantastic acting. It says a lot without needing to say much at all - an intellectual style of filmmaking that is rare nowadays and that doesn't force a moral message down your throat. Good recommendation!

 

[StrayDog]

I just watched this one. Really cool movie, fantastic acting. It says a lot without needing to say much at all - an intellectual style of filmmaking that is rare nowadays and that doesn't force a moral message down your throat. Good recommendation!

Heck yes. Well put about it saying a lot without needing to say much at all. One could say that the movie is kind of like it's lead character. It's just solid and consistent, and get's the job done, but doesn't really have anything to prove. Jack is such a great masculine lead character. He is a savvy, reasonable, level headed gentleman. Plus he knows how to take his L's with dignity. Saint Jack, the pimp with a heart of gold. Glad you enjoyed it @Atlas IV

Oh also, Bogdonovich has some other good ones as well. Paper Moon , and The Last Picture Show are worth a watch. Way more of an Americana flavor to them than this one though.

 

[Chase]

As far as actually recent movies go, I just saw Chris Hemsworth in Extraction 2 the other day.

Both Extraction movies are great action romps. I like them better than the later John Wick films.

Chris Hemsworth is the rare modern movie actor who comes across consistently masculine without being tryhard or stiff.

He has a kind of classic male vulnerability without becoming weak or simping.

Also, John Wick = wounded because he lost his sick wife to cancer whom he was in-love with. Extraction's Tyler = wounded because he lost his sick son to cancer; couldn't face it and walked out on (now ex-)wife + kid at the end. Just in general that is a more masculine "wound" to deal with. Also deals with his ex in movie 2 in a masculine way... apologizes for how he left things at the end, but not simping or trying to get her back or anything.

Chase

 

[gameboy]

Holy shit, didn't know you were also a fan.
IMO Chrono is arguably the best video game ever made, including any genre.
Too sad the team didn't get together for the "sequel" Chrono Cross (which is great, but not on the same level).
Just wish they did a remake a la FFVII, it would be so dope

Wow, never heard of that one. I'm considering giving it a try...

I'm a huge sucker for retro games (as my user name might have given away)!

 

[StrayDog]

Wow, never heard of that one. I'm considering giving it a try...

I'm a huge sucker for retro games (as my user name might have given away)!

one of the all time greats. A timeless (no pun intended) classic. You won't regret a go at it.

 

[POB]

Wow, never heard of that one. I'm considering giving it a try...

I'm a huge sucker for retro games (as my user name might have given away)!

How come???
Just get the original SNES version...u gonna get a blast for sure!

 

[DarkKnight]

I am rewatching Hercules the legendary journeys and xena warrior princess, hot damn man both shows were full with total babes. I don't think they would dare to produce similar shows

 

[Warped Mindless]

I am rewatching Hercules the legendary journeys and xena warrior princess, hot damn man both shows were full with total babes. I don't think they would dare to produce similar shows

I loved both of those shows a kid.

Seen a random episode on the net a few years back on accident and holy hell the acting was bad. Still great shows tho!

“Hitman” on Netflix (not the bald barcode guy movie) was actually kinda funny. I think a lot of people missed some important details such as the main guy who pretends to be a hitman is a sociopath. The movie never directly spells that out but it’s obvious if you know what to look more. The movie makes much more sense when you realize it’s a story about to fucked up sociopaths falling for one another.

 

[StrayDog]

I loved both of those shows a kid.

Seen a random episode on the net a few years back on accident and holy hell the acting was bad. Still great shows tho!

“Hitman” on Netflix (not the bald barcode guy movie) was actually kinda funny. I think a lot of people missed some important details such as the main guy who pretends to be a hitman is a sociopath. The movie never directly spells that out but it’s obvious if you know what to look more. The movie makes much more sense when you realize it’s a story about to fucked up sociopaths falling for one another.

Wait, people missed that? That is the entire subtext of the movie, and by the time it ends it is pretty much in your face.

Pretty charming/entertaining movie. The lead actor is clearly having tons of fun with his role.

Interesting/entertaining the way he would play to each person's archetypal fantasy of what they think a hit man aught to be.

Overall it wasn't that special of a movie, and you have to suspend a bit of disbelief, but definitely refreshingly different from most of what is being produced these days.

 

[POB]

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is kinda of the Brit version of Inglorious Basterds.
It does not pack the same punch as it's predecessor, but I am a sucker for Guy Ritchie's movies lol.
Plus Eiza Gonzalez is just a babe.

 

[POB]

Also strange that nobody mentioned Furiosa
Went to see it on Imax with my mom and we had a blast!
Not on the same level as Fury Road though, but a cool action flick nonethless.
And Chris Hemsworth just steals the scene as Dementus!

Also willing to give Borderlands a shot when it comes out.
If it stays true to the quality of the second game, it's gonna be amazing!

 

[Dash of Englishness]

Has anyone seen Sex & Death 101??

In a way it's just a silly comedy, but I think it's more than that somehow. The lead character gets a list of the names of all the women that he's going to sleep with in the rest of his life. He just goes out and chats to random women, and once he's verified their name he knows whether it's going to happen or not. So it doesn't matter how well it seems to be going with one particular woman, if their name isn't on the list, there's no point in spending anymore time on that woman... and he just moves on to the next.

But I couldn't but constantly think about one thing having watched it... what if you (or someone else) could trick you into thinking that the girl that you have your eye on in destined to sleep with you?? Imagine how much confidence you'd have going over to her!

 

[Lover]

I can't stop loving Deadpool for the carefree entertainment the character delivers. I'm glad Disney allowed it to stay R-rated, otherwise it would have been suicide on the character and the franchise

 

[James D]

@James D,



2002 version. Not high cinema but it made a big impression on 19 y/o me and is still one of my favorite films.

I read the book some 15 years later. Book is also great, though very different from the the film. Definitely less politically correct, especially the chick Dantés ends up with at the end (who was not in the 2002 film adaptation at all).

You can see the difference between mid-19th Century masculine values vs. early 21st Century popular values just looking at how they gave Dantés a "happy ending" in those two different versions of the same tale.

Have you seen the 2024 French version?

Watched it last week and it's the best adaptation I've seen so far.

It always bothered me that Edmond ends up with Mercedes at the end of the 2002 one, altough that's not the case in the book.

Do give it a watch if you can!

Bet they must have a version with the English subtitles but I'm not sure if they're showing it in theatres internationally.