The film thread.

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Terminator 2 on 4k - a classic example of what we call a 'Friday film' - no engagement of brain necessary, but a great film nonetheless.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

The 2020 remake of The Invisible Man. Pretty good and genuinely unnerving in places, though some plot elements were rushed a little, I felt. Recorded from the Light Channel in HD, not that you'd know it - poor picture quality, and blacks that would best be described as murky, ill defined grey/brown.

 

[davidf]

The 2020 remake of The Invisible Man. Pretty good and genuinely unnerving in places, though some plot elements were rushed a little, I felt. Recorded from the Light Channel in HD, not that you'd know it - poor picture quality, and blacks that would best be described as murky, ill defined grey/brown.

Darker areas require more bandwidth. Films set in bright daylight (comedies etc) usually look pretty good on streaming/terrestrial TV, but darker films gtreatly suffer. This is one reason I won’t give up on physical media.

I didn’t like The Invisible Man remake. Given the guy can be invisible and undetected, it didn’t make sense to me how he went into that hospital after her and started shooting everyone. Any survivors and there’d be witnesses, and surely there’d be CCTV, like in the restaurant. To me, he just seemed to do things that you wouldn’t do if you were trying to avoid detection.

Why is the Invisible Man always portrayed as a complete ****? Was he written in the novel as being an a-hole?

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

He was a wrong 'un in the book too!

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Why is the Invisible Man always portrayed as a complete

I think there are a few reasons:

1) If he were a good guy, all he would need do is find someone he knew and trusted - it might scare them senseless at first, but by talking to them, moving objects and revealing his form (wearing clothes etc), he could set about trying to get back into society. I guess he could be made into some sort of superhero, but as someone who doesn't really care for such things it seems that the more garishly-clad they are the better.

2) I think the original story is supposed to have an element of power corrupts about it, and being invisible is quite a power - the ability to do things unobserved. I believe it's also supposed to suggest that someone who actively seeks this sort of power is probably not someone you should readily trust.

I can't speak for any of the other iterations, but in this case the chap in question is clearly has psychological issues - chief among which seems to be the belief that he could get away with anything.

None of which made for a flawless film, but the tense parts were generally pretty well-done, I thought.

 

[plastic penguin]

I'm not really a big film fan. But I am a fan of Ken Loaches dramas. The other night I watched "Kes". It's quite old now but still a cracker.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

I'm not really a big film fan. But I am a fan of Ken Loaches dramas. The other night I watched "Kes". It's quite old now but still a cracker.

He does always kill the kestrel though, doesn't he? Mrs 12th nicknamed I, Daniel Blake as I, Daniel Bleak!

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Gattaca - one of my favourite science fiction films, set in a near future where a person's genetic inheritance is the basis of a deeply uneven society. I can see why it was a flop, though - too thoughtful, slow-paced, wordy and lacking any crash bang wallop.

 

[plastic penguin]

He does always kill the kestrel though, doesn't he? Mrs 12th nicknamed I, Daniel Blake as I, Daniel Bleak!

His dramas are dark. When I watched the re-run of "Cathy Come Home" years ago, it was thought-provoking, bordering on depressing.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

His dramas are dark. When I watched the re-run of "Cathy Come Home" years ago, it was thought-provoking, bordering on depressing.

Yes, we saw it when Beeb4 repeated in not long ago.

 

[plastic penguin]

I like the kinda realism he brought to the screens. Doesn't appeal to everyone but me....

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Little Miss Sunshine - a wonderful black comedy about a dysfunctional family's road trip, so their daughter can participate in one of these dreadful child beauty pageant things. It's a film we probably go back to almost annually.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

The Shining on 4k - I like it rather more than I used to, but it still doesn't feel right to me. The music and sound effects are jarringly unsubtle, and iconic though it is, Jack Nicholson's performance seems too OTT for too long. I'm sure this is not a popular opinion.

 

[davidf]

The Shining on 4k - I like it rather more than I used to, but it still doesn't feel right to me. The music and sound effects are jarringly unsubtle, and iconic though it is, Jack Nicholson's performance seems too OTT for too long. I'm sure this is not a popular opinion.

I’ve debated with myself many times with regards to the performances. Nicholson is a little OTT, and I’ve never liked Shelley Duvall’s performance in the film. But Kubrick was a genius. That’s not up for debate. He did many, many takes for scenes until he got what he wanted, sometimes pushing the actors to the limit, so he must have been happy with what the actors provided him, otherwise he’d have booted them off the set and got someone else in. Whatever we see on screen was presumably good enough for Kubrick, so why the ’far from ’perfect’ performances? I’ve come to the conclusion that the story/message of the film, and what he is trying to convey is more important than the performance of any of the actors.

That said, I love the film, and I know there’s been a big hoo-ha about the whole film with regards to Kubrick not sticking to the storyline of Stephen King’s book, but I’m glad we got what we did. Kubrick made it his own, and this is something that King fans can’t seem to grasp. It’s not the first time the events of a book have been altered, removed, or new ones added etc, and it won’t be the last. It just seems to be King fans that can’t accept it.

Another thing I used to debate with a friend, was whether Kubrick would’ve ambraced IMAX, at least for scenes like the opening scene, which is perfect IMAX fodder. And would he have also embraced modern 3D? Much of The Shining involves long shots, and shots with plenty of depth, and I think it would’ve been really interesting to see it in 3D.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Another thing I used to debate with a friend, was whether Kubrick would’ve ambraced IMAX, at least for scenes like the opening scene, which is perfect IMAX fodder. And would he have also embraced modern 3D? Much of The Shining involves long shots, and shots with plenty of depth, and I think it would’ve been really interesting to see it in 3D.

The opening sequence is genuinely stunning.

 

[davidf]

The opening sequence is genuinely stunning.

I’d love to see it at the cinema.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Copycat - one of Sigourney Weaver's best performances, and a film that (whilst inferior to Seven and The Silence of the Lambs, is at least worthy of appearing on a list of serial killer films with them.

 

[Gray]

I'm wondering how many hours (weeks / months / years?) that people here have spent watching films.
...and how that compares with total time (so far) spent listening to music.
Half as much maybe?

Most films are longer than most full albums aren't they? 🤔

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

I'm wondering how many hours (weeks / months / years?) that people here have spent watching films.
...and how that compares with total time (so far) spent listening to music.
Half as much maybe?

Most films are longer than most full albums aren't they? 🤔

I spend far more time watching films than listening to music - hoping that when I retire the balance will be more equitable.

 

[davidf]

I'm wondering how many hours (weeks / months / years?) that people here have spent watching films.
...and how that compares with total time (so far) spent listening to music.
Half as much maybe?

Most films are longer than most full albums aren't they? 🤔

Last year I spent just over 1,600 hours watching films - on top of that would’ve been extras and commentaries, so in excess of 2,000 hours taking that into account. Only about 1,000 so far this year.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

I reckon that one average, we watch maybe four films a week. If they average two hours, that' s a little over 400 hrs.

 

[Samd]

One or two films a month on average but no idea of time spent listening to music.

 

[Gray]

in excess of 2,000 hours

I didn't expect anyone would keep count.
That's around 3 months solid 😳

I'm not counting the time ive spent on this forum 😱

 

[davidf]

I didn't expect anyone would keep count.
That's around 3 months solid 😳

I'm not counting the time ive spent on this forum 😱

It’s all logged on my Letterboxd account, so it tells me how many films, how many hours, most watched films and actors etc etc.

 

[Alantiggger]

Gattaca - one of my favourite science fiction films, set in a near future where a person's genetic inheritance is the basis of a deeply uneven society. I can see why it was a flop, though - too thoughtful, slow-paced, wordy and lacking any crash bang wallop.

I thought that this was a smashing movie tbh.