The Criterion Collection

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by lastemp3ror

I am getting the feeling that your experience above will happen with me when I see Only God Forgives

I was not impressed at all with the clip of Only God Forgives that I saw a couple months back, so I'll pass on the movie unless I hear something miraculous.
Call me shallow, but I'd rather not see the wonderful Kristin Scott Thomas play a white trash potty mouth.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Ahhh... The Wachowskis.

I loathed V for Vendetta, and that has soured me on their films. They took a good graphic novel story and turned it into a feel-good movie for political extremists who wish they were terrorists, but don't have the nerve to be actual terrorists.

I still love the first Matrix film, so we'll always have that, at least.

Yes, the first Matrix film is a masterpiece and will always be that. That is their one true achievement, when Larry was still Larry and not Lana back then. That film delves into the Kabbalah too. I always tell people I used to be living in the matrix but now I'm not. Muahahaha.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by jw007

True, but who is to say that Oliver Stone might not one day be featured in the Criterion Collection! If any of his films may be put on there I would say Salvador is the best choice!

Hope you don't hate me now for not liking Cloud Atlas!

It's ok to disagree on one film, right?

All I will say is this: shouldn't we be scolding films that aim for much lower: Grown Ups 2, Good Day to Die Hard, Hangover 3.

And as far as pretentious films that fail in every single way, try Man of Steel, The Purge or Extremely Loud.

This year I will have seen about 120 Hollywood 2013 releases, so I know my bad movies.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Ahhh... The Wachowskis.

I loathed V for Vendetta, and that has soured me on their films. They took a good graphic novel story and turned it into a feel-good movie for political extremists who wish they were terrorists, but don't have the nerve to be actual terrorists.

I still love the first Matrix film, so we'll always have that, at least.

If nothing else, their attempts to break free form conventional structure and form in their last two features warrant recognition. Say all you want about them, but they look and move like no other films out there.

(I too was not too keen on V for Vendetta, which they produced not directed)

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

This year I will have seen about 120 Hollywood 2013 releases, so I know my bad movies.

I've seen five 2013 films, so I suddenly feel inadequate.

The breakdown so far...

1. To the Wonder
2. Pacific Rim
3. Oblivion
4. World War Z
5. Spring Breakers

Not that Spring Breakers is a bad film. It's just that the other four are better. I've chosen wisely so far this year, so nothing has disappointed me.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

All I will say is this: shouldn't we be scolding films that aim for much lower: Grown Ups 2, Good Day to Die Hard, Hangover 3.

And as far as pretentious films that fail in every single way, try Man of Steel, The Purge or Extremely Loud.

This year I will have seen about 120 Hollywood 2013 releases, so I know my bad movies.

Sure, all of those films mentioned above shouldn't be allowed to exist. I might sound heavy-handed, but that's my belief. I try to imagine I'm not living in a society where we have Grown Ups 2, Hangover 3, Scary Movie 5 and ESPECIALLY Movie 43.

I stopped watching Hollywood releases about 10 years ago. On average, I might go to see 2 or 3 Hollywood films per year in the cinaplex. They don't deserve my money in exchange for me having to sit through their garbage fodder movies that only were made to make big profits. F that.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by jw007

Yes, the first Matrix film is a masterpiece and will always be that. That is their one true achievement, when Larry was still Larry and not Lana back then. That film delves into the Kabbalah too. I always tell people I used to be living in the matrix but now I'm not. Muahahaha.

Sorry, but that may be the reason you dislike it so. The film is basically about Larry's gender change, so having moral qualms with that may turn you off big time. I found it all very earnest.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

(I too was not too keen on V for Vendetta, which they produced not directed)

They wrote the screenplay, so I'm still soured at 'em. Haha.

I do give them credit for their visual flair with their movies, though.

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

All I will say is this: shouldn't we be scolding films that aim for much lower: Grown Ups 2, Good Day to Die Hard, Hangover 3.

And as far as pretentious films that fail in every single way, try Man of Steel, The Purge or Extremely Loud.

This year I will have seen about 120 Hollywood 2013 releases, so I know my bad movies.

He's allowed to think it's a bad movie, ya know. Just because people don't deliberately seek out films that they know will be bad - like the ones you listed - doesn't mean they can't label a film they expected to be good as one of the worst.

Different strokes and all that.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Sorry, but that may be the reason you dislike it so. The film is basically about Larry's gender change, so having moral qualms with that may turn you off big time. I found it all very earnest.

It could be part of the reason, but I just feel that these siblings have officially "lost it". They look confused and not genuinely happy for some reason. Though they seemed to smile a lot in their interviews, I just don't know what happened to them. Maybe they just went insane. I guess Larry/Lana was so in love with Tom's movie Run Lola Run, he literally wanted to become that character in real life! Which he actually DID and is now a euro-trash punk rock girl with red hair! I'd like to see Franka Potente in her Lola outfit now standing next to Lana and see if we can tell them apart.

If that doesn't sound a bit loony, I'm not sure what does anymore.

And Lana should have been Lola. Loony Lola.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

He's allowed to think it's a bad movie, ya know. Just because people don't deliberately seek out films that they know will be bad - like the ones you listed - doesn't mean he can't label a film he expected to be good as one of the worst.

Different strokes and all that.

I try to keep an open mind. I have enjoyed plenty of certified "rotten" films, and I will continue to do so in the future.

I guess he can label it the worst of the best

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I try to keep an open mind. I have enjoyed plenty of certified "rotten" films, and I will continue to do so in the future.

I guess he can label it the worst of the best

Oh, I do too. I've enjoyed a hell of a lot of "rotten" films (not things like Grown Ups, mind you.) I'm just saying it's okay to dislike something you were anticipating. I know I've had my fair share of disappointments over the years. Never Let Me Go immediately springs to mind..

[ParticleDan]

I have two 15% off coupons for B&N that I can't use and I'm happy to give them away, but I'm not sure how best to do that as the coupon can't be applied online so it would be pointless to PM the code. I guess I can email a screen capture or something. Anyway PM away if you're interested

[Abdrewes]

By the way jw, you shouldn't quote Rex Reed, he may have only watched 20 minutes of Cloud Atlas

[SammyJankis]

Rex Reed is the biggest joke around. How that guy still has a job is beyond me.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

By the way jw, you shouldn't quote Rex Reed, he may have only watched 20 minutes of Cloud Atlas

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Rex Reed is the biggest joke around. How that guy still has a job is beyond me.

Ok, ok, Rex Reed is somewhat of a jerk. I don't deny that.

Instead I'll just quote another critic on Cloud Atlas that again proves my point:

Kenneth Turan of the LA Times wrote:

"Finally, what sinks "Cloud Atlas" is not the largeness of its ambitions but the lack of skill it displays in terms of writing, directing and acting."

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Never Let Me Go immediately springs to mind..

Awww. I loved that film. I even knew the big spoilers, because I had read the novel beforehand, and I was impressed with the adaptation. It sucks to be those people, that's for sure.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Rex Reed is the biggest joke around. How that guy still has a job is beyond me.

Yup. Worse than Armond for sure.

I bet if Armond sorted out his issues, he would be a great critic again. There really are nuggets of gold buried beneath heaps of condescension and pointless asides.

[jw007]

Oh, this one is good too:

Joe Neumaier of the NY Daily News:

"For all its strengths, the film is cursed by an ADD-style structure and a flashy but inevitably ineffective casting stunt."

Yes, forgot to mention the ADHD vibe the film suffers from. I think the Wachowskis are too busy playing too many hyper video games. They're no longer human.

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Awww. I loved that film. I even knew the big spoilers, because I had read the novel beforehand, and I was impressed with the adaptation. It sucks to be those people, that's for sure.

I mean, I watched it the other night for the third time and I like it well enough, but I can't deny that I was disappointed during my initial viewing. I love the novel, and when I compare it to the film (which I try not to do) it just comes up short. On its own, though, it's a damn good film - and an emotionally successful one. The casting is dead on, and it just looks great. But they could have added on another twenty minutes at least.