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Bill Paxton just died, due to complications from heart surgery.
He was only 61, but I didn't realise he was that old.
I remember him best from Twister (the main guy in that movie), Apollo 13 (in the capsule), True Lies (the ladies man), and from Aliens (the Space Marine who had a bit of a breakdown when they lost half their team at the Reactor).
One of only 2 actors whose characters were killed by a Terminator, a Predator and a Xenomorph (Alien series), Lance Henrikson being the other.Quote:
Originally Posted by griffin
The man had some acting chops, and pretty spot-on comedic timing.
Finally got around to watching Inside Out. What a great film! :D That pink imaginary friend (Bing Bong) had TONNES more character development than every single Transformer in the live action movie franchise put together - I'm not even exaggerating.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...pst0wokfz2.jpg
Bay, Bay, Bay. Don't be so hard on the guy.Quote:
Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime
The G1 cartoons and that thinly disguised Star Wars KO of a movie were exactly the same, yet that crap is venerated.
Zootopia is another great kids film if you've missed that as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime
Character development is always linked back to Bay...
Inside out and Zootopia were both brilliant, while I enjoyed Finding Dory, both of those films were far superior. Too bad they are PG so we can't watch them during wet weather at schools.Quote:
Originally Posted by SuspectimusPrime
Hacksaw Ridge
Gibson does it again! Who knew Garfield could act?
10/10
I've never venerated the G1 cartoons. I've always preferred the G1 comics and you all know that I don't really care that much about G1 cartoon likeness on toys either. I never display my MP Grimlock with blue eyes, only toy/comic accurate red eyes all the way, baby! :D Having said that, the G1 cartoon eps didn't have a US$200 million budget and they had to pander to Hasbro's demands to sell toys. Bay is given much more creative freedom where Hasbro models its toys after what Bay creates. And we've seen even greater creative freedom since Aaron Archer stepped down.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sinnertwin
And Bay has been doing this gig for 10 years now with no sign of improvement. There are people who are FAR harsher on George Lucas on his work on the SW Prequels despite the fact that it was a far shorter run, and there was signs of improvement between each film.
e.g. Jar Jar Binks
* Ep 1: Bloody useless nuisance who wasted screen time.
* Ep 2: Far less screen time and role was used more wisely (e.g. helping Palpatine to pass the Clone Army act).
* Ep 3: Appears for a few seconds at Padmé's state funeral. Zero dialogue.
Lucas isn't perfect, but he tries. All the complaints about Age of Extinction have mostly existed since the first movie, only that they've gotten worse rather than better. The first movie was the best one, but things went downhill from there IMHO.
That comment was for those of us who regularly post silly memes about G1 v Bay on Facebook looking for social validation.:thumbs up:
Mind boggling considering the whole franchise is built on the notion of changing forms...
Star Wars improved? I feel as though it actively regressed as the sequels were released. Jar Jar aside,
-There were hardly any improvements in the performances & the scripts were just as cringe-worthy.
-The story played second fiddle to how many droids we could squeeze into a single frame. Obi Wan and Anakin floating above the lave duelling? Cock it, let's throw a droid in there too :rolleyes: Why? Because I can, that's why.
-Then there's the whole movie being filmed in a green room.
You could release an entire 3 hour movie with Jabba the Hut dedicated to the benefits of a paleo diet and crowds wold still flock to watch it, aaaand it would still be a better film than the prequels.
Man on Fire.
Just seen it. Brilliant.
Just finished watching Hacksaw Ridge and like Saving Private Ryan, it's a WW2 movie that falls into the category of "You haven't seen anything like it!"
P.S. I wish it won more than two Oscars.:(
Even after 40 years since it first screened, I still enjoy watching reruns of Jaws the movie.
Not so Transformers live action movies .:D
Logan is absolutely brilliant
This is the Wolverine movie I have been waiting for !!!!
Won't go into any spoilers but the trailer does it no justice
Very true. Logan is the bleakest Marvel movie I've ever seen and is more bleak than anything DC has offered so far. As for the violence? There's a reason why Logan got an R-rating in the U.S. Only Deadpool can rival it in that department.:eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by Starscream77
I agree!!! I hate the Michael Bay movies...Quote:
Originally Posted by Megatran
I think it was far gorier than deadpool and we were brought far closer to the action than in deadpool. The minimal use of cgi and green screen was obvious as all the stunts had that impact and real feel to it.Quote:
Originally Posted by shockNwave
Hugh Jackman shoes off his acting chops both emotionally and physically and you truly feel the pain and age he and Patrick Stewart are showing.
It's a movie without hope and I remained spoiler free so it really got me as it was even more emotionally draining than I anticipated. It certainly isn't in the same frame as guardians of the galaxy in mood or feeling but I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who won't be put off by multiple stab wounds.
I haven't seen Logan yet (please don't spoil it for me), but I wonder if the extreme darkness angle may be a move from Fox to help make the movie stand out more from their main competitors at Marvel Studios and DC. Marvel's success comes from making their movies just generally fun and bright (without being camp). DC's formula is to go dark and gritty - it worked with Batman and they've decided to apply the formula to Superman too. Their last attempt at making a 'fun and bright' movie was Green Lantern which bombed spectacularly for them, which is possibly why Cavill's Superman is the darkest version of the character that we've seen on screen so far. Batfleck is also arguably the darkest version of that character too - surprising many fans with his use of guns (although we never explicitly see him shoot people, the shooting of people is implied -- he'd be likely to shoot a few people after blowing up that many vehicles and buildings).
The other way to look at it is how films are a reflection of society and may be a product of their time. Take Batman for example. The 1960s Batman series is notoriously camp, but then again, so were many shows of that time - Happy Days, The Brady Bunch, Partridge Family etc. American society was enjoying heightened prosperity following WWII. These idealistic shows became a form of exaggerated escapism for audiences. But by the time that Burton's Batman came along in 1989, the political climate had changed. America had become bleak and weary from the Cold War and global terrorism, and this is reflected in the much darker tones of Michael Keaton's Batman. The post-Cold War mid-90s saw another era of comfortable prosperity for the US which then saw the Batman films revert back towards being more camp with Val Kilmer and especially George Clooney's Batman movies. Christian Bale's Batman movies occurred in a post September-11 America and are a direct metaphor for the political landscape of the time where the villains literally used fear as a weapon, making the very people themselves their own worst enemies. Affleck's Batman represents the current socio-political climate where he is just so weary and tired of fighting terror that he is willing to compromise his moral standards (e.g. using guns) in order to win his war on terror (crime). But Batman is very much driven by fears that are rooted in ignorance and paranoia, such as his determination to kill Superman.
(Reference: Modern American History as taught by Batman movies)
Logan was always a rather dark and gritty character, but with the level of dark and grittiness that Batman has become, perhaps Fox felt that it was essential for Logan to go that extra kilometre to become additionally darker, bleaker and more violent in order to stand out from DC's cinematic product. Especially if Batman is looking to become not as dark as he assembles the Justice League. At the end of Dawn of Justice Batman has overcome his ignorance-based fears when he learns that Superman is actually a good guy and they become allies. So without that factor to drive that level of darkness in Batman, he may swing back more towards being a not-so-dark character. Perhaps becoming more like Bale's Batman.
I liked the first Bad Boys and I enjoy his first Transformers movie, but not others. I dislike most of his movies.Quote:
Originally Posted by VodooCaMo
I think you are overthinking it Gok. While the director had stated they were glad to get the r rating in the USA as t better suited the character, the stories that the movie is based off were all bleak and set in a future where Wolverine was. Ore or less alone.
I doubt this movie occurs in the dawn of futures past and it cannot happen in the original timeline either so it's in some unknown timeline. Who cares it's an awesome tale so why get bogged down in the convoluted mess that is the movie continuity? It's not like you can neatly make it fit into
Anything that has come before, so why waste your time.
I don't mind bleak, dark and gritty super hero movies if that actually suits the character, which it would for Wolverine. I'm just not a fan when they make characters who should be bright and vibrant into dark and moody characters instead. I'm looking at you, Zack Snyder's Superman.
X-men is fox not Sony.
Arrival was a really good movie, damn good sci-fi. Nice to see that not everything needs a big action third act. 8/10
Duly noted and corrected. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Gutsman Heavy
Not quite about a movie, but movies in general, so I think it goes here.
I absolutely hate that the IMDb boards are gone. Not that I posted anything really, but it was always the place to go to read others discussions, thoughts, theories, etc. on films or actors or shows.
It was especially valuable for smaller stuff, and most of the time I would go in there ready to ask a question that was so random or obscure, and sure enough, someone in the boards had beaten me to it.
Just not the same!
Just saw Logan. In one word: Brutal
I agree, I often looked through those boards when something new was announced.Quote:
Originally Posted by davieanix
Got my hands on John Wick after hearing all about the sequel delays.
Conclusion: Very enjoyable
Kong: Skull Island
I really liked it, I think for the most part it didn't try to be anything else than a Vietnam War movie with monsters. So really cool creepy designs I just wish we saw more of them.
Spoiler:
I have no idea how Kong could defeat the new bio-beam Godzilla from 2014 movie. They do they though he isn't finished growing yet, but the bones of his parents looked to be the exact same height.
Just watched Ghost in the Shell. Loved it
Watched The Lego Batman Movie. Feelgood movie of the year so far. Rosario Dawson does a stand out job as Barbara Gordon regardless of the racism her Latino background copped in the lead up to this movie.:D
Not a movie, but we just finished watching The Night Of. Was impressed by John Turturro's role, and surprised at how good he is outside of Transformers :rolleyes:
I never had a foot phobia until that series. :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by SuspectimusPrime
Finally got around to watching Disney's Moana (in flight movie) ;)
The really interesting thing about it is the amount of real-life references that it's based on (magic & sorcery aside). e.g.
* The belief in the deity Maui is common across Polynesian cultures - some go by different names and there are variations to the story, but essentially it's the same deity (like comparing Zeus with Jupiter or Odin with Santa Claus etc.). The film also makes direct references to many of these variations and portrayals, such as his ability to shape-shift, his magic fishing hook and essentially being a super-Prometheus by stealing things from the gods/nature and gifting it to humans. That fact that he's voiced by Dwayne "Cliffjumper" Johnson just makes Maui even cooler. :D
* My absolute favourite scene is the song OPETAIA FOA'I, as it basically recounts the great oceanic voyages made by the Polynesians which is arguably one of the greatest expeditions embarked by humans - ever.
Think about it -- they sailed across the vast Pacific Ocean looking for tiny islands, not continents, islands. And they didn't do it on great tall ships like the British did, they did it with Hokule'a, great sea-faring canoes! :eek: And the song also accurately touches upon some of the navigational techniques used by the ancient Polynesians, including astronavigation, wind direction, wave direction etc. And the song also states that these techniques were passed onto future generations orally, which is true since the Polynesians had no written language (which makes their feats even more amazing - we live in an age of high literacy yet we have people who actually believe that the Earth is flat and that vaccines cause autism :rolleyes:). And the song also accurately states that the Polynesians didn't just find and settle new islands never to be seen again, they did find their way back to previously settled islands and maintained contact. One thing that Captain James Cook found amazing when he made contact with various Polynesian islands was that, despite the immense distance of geographic isolation, they had notable similarities in language, culture, religion etc. Just look at the Haka - it's most famous for being a Maori war cry, but there are variants of it in other Pacific Island nations like Tonga, Samoa, Hawaii etc.
And the one really interesting thing that Moana presents is an explanation for the Long Gap. Nobody knows why, but for approximately 2000 years the Western Polynesians stopped voyaging. Moana provides an explanation for this long pause (and the film explicitly depicts the Polynesians as having been explorers as being long lost knowledge). Of course the explanation is all based around magic, sorcery, deities etc., so probably not true, but this is a children's fairy tale after all, and I still think that it's really cool that it fits into real history.
Other interesting points:
* The protagonist is a girl who is a strong and independent character. She saves the day and isn't a hapless victim waiting for a man to rescue her. Although Maui does save her at times, she also saves him - thus they have a mutual dependency which leads to mutual respect.
* Zero romance. Maui is a demigod who is clearly above mortals. He initially attempts to exploit Moana and even resents her, but eventually they become good friends.
* AFAIK all the Polynesian characters were played by actors and actresses with Pacific Island ancestry. e.g. Moana is played by Hawaiian newcomer Auli'i Cravalho, Maui by Dwayne Johnson (Samoan ancestry - has lived in NZ and Hawaii), Temuera Morrison [size"1"](Maori - played Jango Fett and every Clone in Star Wars)[/size] and many more. Although there were a few non-Polynesian cast members including the hilarious Alan Tudyk as Heihei the chicken and Christopher Jackson as the singing voice Temuera Morrison's character (presumably cos Morrison can't sing). Dwayne Johnson does sing though (and he doesn't sound half bad)!
Overall a great movie. I personally wasn't even that interested in watching it - missed it when it was in cinemas and only watched it to kill time while on a plane, but ended up lovin' it when I wasn't even looking to. :o
Saw GOTGvol2 on Thursday. Im under NDA until Monday 17:01 but can say it blew me away!!
Yell For The Blue Sky - an absolutely beautiful film. I've never read the original comic book so I can't compare it, but the film itself is quite well done. :)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aozora_Yell_(film)
Saw Get Out. Holy crap. So so so awesome. Seriously, there will be few other releases better than Get Out this year. Do yourself a favour.
I'm Caucasian, I went with my best mate, who's black (Mauritian). He asked me before the film if I thought there were any interracial couples in the cinema, I replied "just us".;) We've been texting each other about the film since we saw it, there's so much to digest. Every single word uttered, every single action performed, every single plot point, set up and twist is deliberate and packed with meaning. Layer upon layer of text and subtext and metatext. Superbly acted too. Watch out for it next awards season, I'd be shocked if it didn't pull some bigs ones.
Saw it over the weekend. Does for the first GOTG what Age of Ultron did for the first Avengers movie. It keeps the ship steady even if it doesn't build on it that much.Quote:
Originally Posted by KaRNiV8L PRiME
Guardians Vol2 was fun to watch :)
I was really excited when I saw the trailer, and convinced my partner to agree to watching it. But before we got to setting in a date, she came across the trailer through YouTube - just a few seconds of the 2nd half - flashes of surgical equipment, ominous music, and voice of the narrator who sounds like he gargles diesel every night before he sleeps. Because of those few seconds, she's backed out.Quote:
Originally Posted by M-bot
It usually takes her a few weeks to forget about similar-levels of trauma so I might not get a chance to watch it in the cinemas before it's gone :(:p
I've seen it promoted as a horror film. It's probably more of a thriller. There's horrific things going on in the movie, a few bits that are quite unsettling, but only one (maybe 2, if you include a bit where there is some surgery) occasion that you could consider as gore, and even that is pretty tame. They cut away from most of the violent acts, a lot of it happens just out of frame.Quote:
Originally Posted by SuspectimusPrime
More emotional/personal than the first movie, but possibly more laugh out loud moments than the first one too. I could've walked out after the opening sequence/song and been satisfied, that is one of my all time favourite tunes.Quote:
Originally Posted by jazzcomp
A fine way to spend a few hours but nothing groundbreaking or must see, just enjoyable.
Strangely after the first GotG film, I went and bought every lego set, this time around I am really not interested in any but may break my "minifigure rule" and get Taserface just for the chuckles.