Films

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Watched Solder Blue (1970) yesterday evening. For the first time.

For those of us of a certain age, well for this one individual certainly, this film has taken on an almost mythological aspect over the intervening 50yrs. Too young to watch it when it was released, and in respect of the last 15-20mins just too controversial and unsuitable to be shown on TV since. And so for me the mystery around the film has ever been there - every time I read or heard it mentioned I wondered. And yesterday evening I watched.

The last 15-20min are indeed of a very distressing nature...very explicit and very graphic - with it at the time apparently being a reflection of how some viewed US involvement and actions in the Vietnam War.

But this morning we read and hear of atrocities against civilians - men, women and children - in the Ukraine...and this morning the last 15-20mins of Soldier Blue seem too horribly an accurate depiction of how man's inhumanity to man is not something of the past - but something of today.

 

[Tashyboy]

The power of the dog, 12 Oscar nominations ? that’s 2 plus hours I will never get back.Rammel.

 

[backwoodsman]

The power of the dog, 12 Oscar nominations ? that’s 2 plus hours I will never get back.Rammel.

I mostly snoozed through it, but Mrs B said " ... the good acting doesn't stop it being boring. But he'll get an Oscar for his trousers ..." Sadly, the trousers didnt get the Oscar

 

[RichA]

I'm very out of touch with films lately.
MrsA has just announced she'd like to watch a Bond/Bourne/MI type thing tonight (?).
Anything come out in the the last year or two anyone can recommend please.
Preferably on the lesser side of excessive graphic violence.
Something that doesn't drag on for 2 1/2 hours preferred (️).

 

[RichA]

In the absence of any recommendations, we watched Spider-Man: No Way Home. It has 93% and 98% ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, which baffles me.
MrsA fell asleep with an hour to go. I'd lost interest half an hour earlier. I can't be bothered to see the end.

 

[spongebob59]

Watched the collaborater that night, OK, lost its way a little bit towards the end but I didn't quit.

 

[Tashyboy]

https://news.sky.com/story/sam-elli...ower-of-the-dog-a-piece-of-s-western-12587807
why did he not just say it was rammel ?

 

[Orikoru]

https://news.sky.com/story/sam-elli...ower-of-the-dog-a-piece-of-s-western-12587807
why did he not just say it was rammel ?

Never heard of this film until your posts but it sounds like a cross between No Country For Old Men and Brokeback Mountain??

 

[Tashyboy]

Never heard of this film until your posts but it sounds like a cross between No Country For Old Men and Brokeback Mountain??

It Is dragged out. And hard going. I had never heard of it til the Oscar’s. When I saw it on Netflix I thought boom. What a massive letdown.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Never heard of this film until your posts but it sounds like a cross between No Country For Old Men and Brokeback Mountain??

Spot on

Great acting by Cumberbatch though,

 

[PNWokingham]

In the absence of any recommendations, we watched Spider-Man: No Way Home. It has 93% and 98% ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, which baffles me.
MrsA fell asleep with an hour to go. I'd lost interest half an hour earlier. I can't be bothered to see the end.

and an 8.5 on IMDB, which i find much more reliable than Rotten Tomatoes. But, I was well unimpressed with the film to say the least

 

[williamalex1]

GOLD 2022, an strange film about 2 strangers finding gold in the middle of a dessert, slow but interesting to the end.

 

[spongebob59]

The Batman, decent watch, not convinced about Pattison as the lead though.

 

[GB72]

Dune. Having made it a random irritation, it is hard to comment on this film. I enjoyed, it, the look and feel of the film is stunning but it feels like half a move (even at nearly 3 hours) and just seems to end at a random spot. There is a lot of lore to get across and it does that well but just as we appear to be advancing the plot, it simply ends, ready for the next intalment. Bearing in mind that it could be 3-5 years until we get to see the next installment and get some payoff and it all seems a bit of a waste. Honestly, would wait until there is another film and binge watch the two.

If you are going to make a film that is very dependent on further episodes, commit to filming them back to back at least to reduce the gap.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Boiling Point.
All about the pressures of working at a high end diner.
Different, more educational than entertaining for most.......I would think.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Dune. Having made it a random irritation, it is hard to comment on this film. I enjoyed, it, the look and feel of the film is stunning but it feels like half a move (even at nearly 3 hours) and just seems to end at a random spot. There is a lot of lore to get across and it does that well but just as we appear to be advancing the plot, it simply ends, ready for the next intalment. Bearing in mind that it could be 3-5 years until we get to see the next installment and get some payoff and it all seems a bit of a waste. Honestly, would wait until there is another film and binge watch the two.

If you are going to make a film that is very dependent on further episodes, commit to filming them back to back at least to reduce the gap.

I really enjoyed the film but was shocked that it was not filmed concurrently, as you mention. Clearly they didn't know if it was going to be a dud or not but if you are going to commit then go all in. How many people will be lost to the next installment because it is simply too far away now, film goers and actors!

 

[GB72]

I really enjoyed the film but was shocked that it was not filmed concurrently, as you mention. Clearly they didn't know if it was going to be a dud or not but if you are going to commit then go all in. How many people will be lost to the next installment because it is simply too far away now, film goers and actors!

With the number of bigish names involved it could take a couple of years jus to get the cast together. If you are going for an epic film series and are cutting books in half, at least film the first couple together. That said, with some of the names involved, would you be able to get the same commitment as Lord of the Rings to film over such an extended period. With some actors involved in the MCU and DCEU and probably already subject to pretty strict contracts, it may be difficult.

As with you, I enjoyed the film but can understand the studio concern. It is an expansive (and so expensive) Scifi epic with as much focus on political machinations as action and so not an easy sell to the general public.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

With the number of bigish names involved it could take a couple of years jus to get the cast together. If you are going for an epic film series and are cutting books in half, at least film the first couple together. That said, with some of the names involved, would you be able to get the same commitment as Lord of the Rings to film over such an extended period. With some actors involved in the MCU and DCEU and probably already subject to pretty strict contracts, it may be difficult.

As with you, I enjoyed the film but can understand the studio concern. It is an expansive (and so expensive) Scifi epic with as much focus on political machinations as action and so not an easy sell to the general public.

I think GoT helped massively on that front. I saw Dune in a similar vein, different houses vying for power, alliances to be made etc. GoT introduced so many people, me included, into that style of story telling and I instantly understood Dune on the back of that. GoT obviously got to tell the story over multiple series, step by step, but I think the viewing public are now more tuned in to grasping that style of story since then.

Hopefully, the success of the first film will persuade the key actors to come back for the second film. The subsidiary characters can easily be re-cast, there are only a small number that are crucial, imo.

 

[GB72]

I think GoT helped massively on that front. I saw Dune in a similar vein, different houses vying for power, alliances to be made etc. GoT introduced so many people, me included, into that style of story telling and I instantly understood Dune on the back of that. GoT obviously got to tell the story over multiple series, step by step, but I think the viewing public are now more tuned in to grasping that style of story since then.

Hopefully, the success of the first film will persuade the key actors to come back for the second film. The subsidiary characters can easily be re-cast, there are only a small number that are crucial, imo.

I suppose that the issue is tht Game of Thrones had a new season every year (except a 2 year gap for the last one). As such, it always stayed in the conscience and the hype kept it going. Dune ended without that massive talking point event like the death of Ned Stark that kept Game of Thrones hyped each year. to compare it was almost like ending series one when the Starks arrived in Kings Landing. I enjoyed the film and am eager for part 2 but feel sort of cheated that (as with a number of films that split one book into two) it never felt like a complete movie and the production times just bring that hime to roost.

 

[Paperboy]

With Dune, Villeneuve always said it was going to be two films. Dune was a slow burner and for the most part followed the book pretty well and where it didn't it didn't effect the film.

Other films that should have been two films IMO the lord of the rings films and The Hobbit should have been just one with none of the extra rubbish that was added!