We also watched A.I. again recently. The first time, we thought, 'Oh, wow; more Spielberg Aliens. They all look the same.' The 2nd time around we got the point: they are actually evolved Mechas. So, a long time had to intervene to allow time for their evolution.
Good flic!!
We also saw Hereafter ; a very underrated film, imo, though somewhat diminished by
1) The same damn aliens from Spielberg;
2) The same damn minimalist piano score by Eastwood. Gee whiz! Heard it already in Million Dollar Baby, Letters From Iwo.., etc.
I like completely losing myself in a film too. I'm not suggesting one should consciously monitor, or straw poll the audience as the film plays but watching a film WITH an audience (or rewatching with a different audience) changes the way you experience the film. For instance: (cut, paste and edit from my film diary)
I've seen Douglas Trumbell's 1972 film Silent Running six or seven times since I first saw it in a cinema sometime in the early 1970s where it was running as a second feature to the newly released American Graffiti.
It's an OK film. Not one of the greatest SF film ever but a good example of the genre from the mini golden age that Hollywood enjoyed before Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas buggered it all up by making films that made more money than sense.
At no time during any of the watchings of it have I ever felt the need to cry. At times I remember feeling slightly embarrassed by the near mawkish sentimentality on show. Tonight I snivelled like a baby and had tears streaming down my face at the end of it. How? Why?
This time I was watching it with my two daughters. Daughter Number One (aged 15) had never seen it before and had chosen it as her turn in our turn-and-turn-about family film night. Daughter Number Two (aged 13) HAD seen it before... and fell asleep.
The way our chairs were arranged as we watched the film meant I could not see either child. At the end of the film Daughter Number Two was asleep and Daughter Number One was in tears. Real big wet faced trembling lips, greeting. That final shot of the small robot tending the plants as the dome drifted off into space and Lowell Freeman and the other robot dying to save them opened up the floodgates in her. Somehow, silently, without being able to see her, I had picked up on the depth of feeling the story had induced in her and joined her. I've always known that watching a film with an audience (rather than on your own) intensifies the experience but I had never felt it so strongly and strangely as tonight. I really do doubt that telepathy exists but this was the nearest thing I have ever felt that came close to it.
Her explanation? Pheremones. She reckons I smelled the sadness coming of her.
I watched The Ballad of Buster Scruggs last night, the latest movie from the Coen brothers; a six-part Western anthology film.
Some of the stories were great, some not as great, but all had that quirkiness, dark humour and drama that characterize Coen brothers' movies. Overall very good, especially if you like Westerns (and Tom Waits was great as an old prospector).
I do have some (if not direct) experience of dealing with non-neurotypical theatre going. My daughter, daughter Number Two, the one who was in tears at the end of Silent Running, is diagnosed with High Functional Autism (Asperger's). I suspect the reason the film affected her so much was that she could identify with the robot characters. She certainly has a fascination with movies that deal with the the borders between robot and human. Ex-Machina, Metropolis (the anime), and Her, to name but a few, have all resonated deeply with her.
She has learned to tolerate and even enjoy the cinema experience. (I know all autistic people are different, I'm not trying to preach here just tell you my experience). I know about sensory overload and the seemingly (even to us near-neurotypicals) irrational way people sometimes respond to stimuli. But I still maintain that there are subliminal messages that we can all get from a group audience that enhance the common experience.
To get back On Topic
Tonight I watched Star Trek: Nemesis which I guess must have been one of the more interesting Star Trek films because I only fell asleep once while watching it.
Watched The Ballad of Buster Scruggs last night. I've seen enough Coen Brothers' films to know what kind of weirdness I was in for. . . Still, I'm not entirely sure how I felt about the movie as a whole. The title is a bit of a misnomer, as none of the short stories involved tied into one another; the Buster Scruggs character himself had very little screentime.
While many of the segments were good, the tone of the film felt a bit inconsistent, with the first two chapters delving into comedic absurdity, and the later chapters ditching the comedic elements almost entirely to show a much darker, grittier take on life in the wild west.
The runtime felt a bit long at nearly two hours and fifteen minutes; a couple of segments felt as though they overstayed their welcome.
I watched “Pacific Rim Uprising” yesterday, and thought it was an enjoyable sequel to the original. While it isn’t the deepest film, it does deliver on the special effects, while expanding its giant robot vs. kaju story line in new and interesting directions. This film picks up after the events of the first film, and focuses on Jake Pentecost (played by John Boyega), son of Stacker Pentecost (played by Idris Elba in the original film). Jake unwillingly reunites with Mako Mori to lead a new generation of Jaeger pilots, to fight against a new Kaiju threat.
There are enough returning characters from the original film to insure continuity, and then there are some new characters to round out the cast. The kaju are extremely well imagined, the creature designers did a great job. There are new twists on the Jaegers as well, with unexpected consequences.
I would recommend it if one enjoyed the first film. It is an enjoyable action film, with excellent effects and visuals. The story itself is a bit weak, but you have to expect lots of popcorn movie tropes in a film of this sort.
Hearing this a lot... but I gather that it is getting trounced at the cinema by Mary Poppins Returns - or at least here in the UK.
Over the last week I've been pacing myself through the extended Lord of the Rings Trilogy: one part per day. Today it's the last part of Return of the King.
And then... I might be tempted to watch the extended Hobbit movies, though I really didn't like them the first time through, to the point where I didn't watch the last one. But you never know.. new year, new view and all that.
That's an interesting idea, but they are very different. Bet they look amazing in 4K, though! They were both great on a cinema screen, and the soundtrack to 2049 really makes things rattle...
The Grinch (2018)
10/10
A great movie that is faithful to the book, the comedy is not dirty or unfunny, is it's own animal since adds characters and scenes not in the book including why exactly The Grinch hates Christmas, shows more of his relationship with his dog Max, etc.
From start to finish a entertaining great Christmas movie with likable main characters , and resolutions for issues.
Halloween (2018)
9/10
A direct sequel to the terrific John Carpenter movie Halloween which for some illogical reason decides to use the exact same title instead of a logical title which could be Halloween 40 Years Later, Halloween H40, Halloween 2018, etc.
The movie does talk about events and characters from the 1st movie including Doctor Loomis and is showing the aftermath 40 years later.
A great horror movie from start to the ending with likable good characters, creative deaths by Michael Myers and done justice as mostly a force of nature , Laurie is a badass female James Cameron style character,music that fits the scenes and reuse of the Halloween theme and Michael Myers is shown, great action and great drama, and a great exciting climax that has suspense and action.
This horror movie avoids a awful cliche common in Horror movies.
Horror movies have the Villain return for a jump scare ending even after it was obvious the Villain lost which is nonsensical and dumb. This movie has a conclusive ending where it' obvious Michael Myers died and the survivors survived which is best because this is the last time John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis would be involved in a Halloween movie.
Pride Prejudice and Mistletoe
10/10
A straight forward christmas romance drama movie about a woman Darcy that returns home Penbrooke, and discoveries the 2 things she is missing in her life.
From start to the end a entertaining great movie.
Luke and Darcy have great chemistry also both are likable characters that find out why they misunderstood the other in High School, great climax, resolutions , most characters are likable the only unlikable characters intentionally created to be unlikable for valid reasons, great messages, and a believable outcome for the romance.
A Royal Christmas
10/10
A Kindhearted likable seamstress Emily Taylor that lives in Philadelphia finds out her boyfriend Leo is a Prince of the Country Cordinia.
She finds out more about Leo and his family also romance past spending the Christmas season in Cordinia meeting the mother Isadora a Queen, and it's obvious the mother doesn't want her son with a commoner and she does say why.
Leo and Emily are both shown to be likable characters in the movie along with others including Victor the head butler that educates her in royal etiquette along with certain dances.
This is a Mix of Cinderella and the Princes Diaries, character development, great climax, a movie that has a DVD Cover that matches what the movie is about , and a terrific ending.
Last movie I watched was Old Blood on Amazon. Vampire comedy B-movie with Alchemy, warring vampire factions and some good laughs, especially from a couple of practical joker vampires. I love that sort of thing.
