Author Topic: Movies you've seen lately (Read 946,030 times)

Renegade · « **Reply #100 on:** July 30, 2013, 01:11 AM »

AAARRRGGHH~! The deafening din of mangina!

Renegade · « **Reply #101 on:** August 03, 2013, 05:08 PM »

Here's a prediction... A DC comics movie about the Flash. Involves time travel. Sometime in the next 2 years.

wraith808 · « **Reply #102 on:** August 03, 2013, 05:19 PM »

Quote from: Renegade on August 03, 2013, 05:08 PM

Here's a prediction... A DC comics movie about the Flash. Involves time travel. Sometime in the next 2 years.

Not sure if that qualifies as a prediction since they've already said it, and it's in production slated for 2016.

They're trying to follow marvel's successful path, i.e. phase 1 to intro characters, group movie, phase to to develop those and more, group movie 2, phase three introduces more... ad infinitum.

Shades · « **Reply #103 on:** August 03, 2013, 05:39 PM »

Los Ultimos Dias - A Spanish sci-fi movie where people cannot go outside anymore. This is a well-made movie, even you don't understand Spanish.

The male actors carry the story fine, for me the female lead character overdid it at the end. I guess the director banked on her 'pleasing-the-eye-ness' to get away with that end scene.

40hz · « **Reply #104 on:** August 04, 2013, 03:41 AM »

@Shades - adding Los Ultimos Dias to my watch list. Thx.

If you get a chance, check out The Squad (El Paramo)

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Quote

EL PÁRAMO un comando especial de alta montaña compuesto por nueve experimentados soldados es enviado a una base militar en un desolado páramo con la que se perdió contacto hace varios días y que se cree fue blanco de un ataque. Al llegar encuentran un único y misterioso sobreviviente. Poco a poco el aislamiento, la incapacidad de comunicarse con el exterior y la imposibilidad de huir, socavan la integridad y la cordura de los soldados, haciendo que pierdan la certeza sobre la identidad del enemigo y les crea dudas sobre su verdadera naturaleza.

***

A special high mountain command of nine experienced soldiers is sent to a military base in a desolate high-plains moor of Colombia with which contact was lost several days ago and was believed to be target of a guerrilla attack. Upon arrival, the only person found inside the base is a peasant woman who is heavily chained. Gradually , the isolation the inability to communicate with the outside world, an the impossibility to escape, undermine the integrity and sanity of the soldiers, causing them to lose the certainties about the identify of the enemy and creating them doubts about the true nature of that strange woman.

Saw it at a friend's house on DVD. Some truly cool and creepy moments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orc8F2M7Dgs

Better trailer can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86mBKO3l_AQ

Renegade · « **Reply #105 on:** August 04, 2013, 03:45 AM »

Quote from: wraith808 on August 03, 2013, 05:19 PM

Quote from: Renegade on August 03, 2013, 05:08 PM
Here's a prediction... A DC comics movie about the Flash. Involves time travel. Sometime in the next 2 years.

Not sure if that qualifies as a prediction since they've already said it, and it's in production slated for 2016.

They're trying to follow marvel's successful path, i.e. phase 1 to intro characters, group movie, phase to to develop those and more, group movie 2, phase three introduces more... ad infinitum.

Dang. Didn't know that. And I was off by a year.

What I have noticed is that the studios produce relatively cheap animated feature-length films, then shortly after the same basic theme is produced as a major motion picture. I saw that there was a Flash animated film, and hence, the prediction.

40hz · « **Reply #106 on:** August 04, 2013, 04:14 AM »

Ok...my quest for some quality H.P. Lovecraft stories or themed movies continues.

Just saw Pickman's Muse, a 2009 Lovecraft Festival Brown Jenkin Award winner.

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I'm not quite sure what to make of this indie budget film. It contains several Lovecraftian elements and seems to want to combine a tiny bit of the story Pickman's Model with the one of Lovecraft's better short stories The Haunter of the Dark. Toss in some token allusions about possession, plus a brutal serial killer for a little modern vibe, and this is what you get. Not bad. But not good either.

On the positive side, the acting is acceptable. And it's a visually well crafted flick. In fact, the cinematography is actually quite stunning in several places. Remarkable for a small budget production like this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC65IofE1sw

But it's a very slow moving picture (not necessarily a bad thing in itself) without much dialog or character development. And that's probably because this movie feels like it's a half hour short film that was stretched to last 75 minutes - probably in the hopes it would see some art house showings rather than go straight to DVD.

Might be worth a watch if you're into it - and not expecting too much.

Renegade · « **Reply #107 on:** August 04, 2013, 04:21 AM »

Quote from: 40hz on August 04, 2013, 04:14 AM

Ok...my quest for some quality H.P. Lovecraft stories or themed movies continues.

Lovecraft is difficult to get right in a film. Half the horror is simply not knowing, and film exposes a lot.

But if anyone wants to compile a list of good Lovecraftian films, I'm all eyes.

Vurbal · « **Reply #108 on:** August 04, 2013, 11:05 AM »

I'm still desparately clinging to the delusion Guillermo Del Toro will get to make At The Mountains Of Madness. I think he could get it right. Hellboy clearly showed he's a real fan.

Renegade · « **Reply #109 on:** August 04, 2013, 12:35 PM »

"Memory" by Lovecraft would make a wonderful short film. I don't know why nobody has ever seized on that as it's one of his most beautiful works.

wraith808 · « **Reply #110 on:** August 04, 2013, 01:03 PM »

If anyone made a Lovecraft film, of the currently known directors, I'd only want Del Toro.

40hz · « **Reply #111 on:** August 04, 2013, 02:08 PM »

Quote from: Renegade on August 04, 2013, 04:21 AM

Lovecraft is difficult to get right in a film. Half the horror is simply not knowing, and film exposes a lot.

You make a good point there. Gets to the core of something Terry Pratchett made a joke out of in one of his Discworld books. There's a scene where he describes a certain thing seen by the characters as "utterly indescribable" - and then concludes by saying: "This is what it looked like..."

Film also doesn't work too well for things that can't be seen - like inner dialog or thoughts, which usually make up at least half of a Lovecraft tale. You can only do so many flashbacks and voiceovers before it starts feeling contrived.

About the only film I can recall off the top of my head that really conveyed a sense of brooding otherworldly menace was the Lovecraft/Bierce influenced and brilliantly understated 1975 cult classic Picnic at Hanging Rock which is still one of my favorite films:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x05QuAhpq6o

A fairly recent German film Die Farbe based on Lovecraft's The Colour Out of Space looks promising:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t-MxVyublk

Some people have criticized it as being slow moving and incomprehensible - which is sometimes a good sign when it comes to a Lovecraft treatment.

If I get to see it, I'll let you know.

40hz · « **Reply #112 on:** August 04, 2013, 02:37 PM »

Quote from: wraith808 on August 04, 2013, 01:03 PM

If anyone made a Lovecraft film, of the currently known directors, I'd only want Del Toro.

Agree. But if only he cold get some of that "action figure" look out of things. He did quite well with Pan's Labyrinth, which was a complete surprise, both story-wise and visually. (And in Hellboy, Abe did have the proper "Innsmouth look." And yes, the representation of the Lords of Chaos trapped in their other dimensional crystal prison; and that brief apocalyptic vision which showed the fate of our planet "when the stars came right again" would have had Lovecraft himself applauding.)

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Vurbal · « **Reply #113 on:** August 04, 2013, 03:00 PM »

Quote from: 40hz on August 04, 2013, 02:37 PM

I think however the best for it right now might be Chris Columbus if the whole look and feel of the first Harry Potter movie was anything to go by. Especially for Lovecraft's "Dunsanian" fantasies like Ex Oblivione or Hypnos. Although the noir vibe Zack Snyder does so well (Watchmen etc.) could work too with Lovecraft's darker mythos tales such as The Shadow over Innsmouth, The Shadow Out of Time, or At the Mountains of Madness.

Columbus would be an interesting choice. Before the Harry Potter movies I dismissed him as a second rate hack. In retrospect he was just stuck with a bunch of third rate movies. The first Harry Potter movie completely surprised me for just that reason. Chamber of Secrets made me a believer.

I'd still take Del Toro though. I think the biggest challenge to putting Lovecraft on the screen (big or small) is sustaining the creepy feel and IMO he's the master. The Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth are both full of that.

I hadn't thought about it much until I read Stephen King's book, On Writing, but the other big challenge is the lack of dialog. King was actually mentioning it as a positive by pointing out Lovecraft didn't like people so he was wise to avoid it. Even if you could pull that off - and it's not impossible - I can't see a studio allowing it.

Renegade · « **Reply #114 on:** August 04, 2013, 03:23 PM »

I'm wondering why people are advocating Del Toro for a Lovecraft film... I've seen some of his work, and he's good, but Lovecraft? Doesn't seem to fit him. "Hellboy" was kind of, well, juvenile. That kind of theme is just nowhere near Lovecraft's darkness. "Blade II" on the other hand had a bit more darkness that leans towards Lovecraft's nightmares, but it was still pretty juvenile in comparison. Lovecraft digs deep into timeless occult themes that transcend cultures and warps them into boundless horrors that truly would drive one mad.

I'd think that one of these fellows would do a better job:

Terry Gilliam
Ralph Bakshi
Gregory Hoblit (Directed "Fallen", probably one of the best horror films of all time)

Bakshi has a twisted enough imagination to make things work. "Fritz! Fritz! They've killed Fritz!" - Hilariously twisted scene in "Wizards".

Terry Gilliam can warp darn near anything. He's an artist.

What would be a really messed up Lovecraft movie would be Quentin Tarantino. That would be... dunno. A sensory assault. He'd either bomb horribly, or produce the wildest version ever.

Renegade · « **Reply #115 on:** August 04, 2013, 03:27 PM »

Oh, for Lovecraft fans (especially old AD&D players):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCZCxeZKgh8

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

THE BEAST
He exists
THE BEAST
On the astral plane
THE BEAST
He has the availability
To enter our universe

(solo - The Cretin)

THE BEAST
Psionic attack
THE BEAST
Chaotic evil
THE BEAST
Highly intelligent
And unpredictable

THE BEAST
Gaping cunts
THE BEAST
Pulsating penis
THE BEAST
In this shape he'll mate
With mankind to create the spawn

THE SPAWN
They will breed
THE SPAWN
With human beings
THE SPAWN
They will turn this world
Into man's worst nightmare

THE BEAST
He will rule
THE BEAST
Ore his spawn
THE BEAST
They will be his servants
In a burning world of doom

(2nd solo - Cretin
3rd solo - Anus
4th solo - Cretin
5th solo - Anus)

THE BEAST
400 hit points
THE BEAST
Strength 25
THE BEAST
Charisma - 7
If you meet his eye you'll die

THE BEAST
Multiple attack
THE BEAST
Monk bard nil
THE BEAST
Giant mass of legs
Feelers and stalked organs

(6th solo - Cretin
7th solo - Cretin/Anus)

Vurbal · « **Reply #116 on:** August 04, 2013, 03:47 PM »

Quote from: Renegade on August 04, 2013, 03:23 PM

I'm wondering why people are advocating Del Toro for a Lovecraft film... I've seen some of his work, and he's good, but Lovecraft?

It wouldn't make any more sense to to Hellboy like Lovecraft than to do Pan's Labyrinth like Hellboy. A lot of the design elements just made me think he was a fan. Since At The Mountains Of Madness is his dream project that seems right.

Have you seen The Devil's Backbone? It's a ghost story, so not exactly the same, but between that, Hellboy, and Pan's Labyrinth I'm satisfied he can do it. He hasn't put them together in a single film but he hasn't done Lovecraft yet. Given how giddy he is about it and his refusal to do it unless he gets to make it right he's probably our best shot at this point. Based on what he's said, though, it's a very long shot.

40hz · « **Reply #117 on:** August 04, 2013, 03:54 PM »

Quote from: Vurbal on August 04, 2013, 03:00 PM

I'd still take Del Toro though.

Yeah...the more I think about it, the more it sounds right. Ok.. Del Toro it is. And I'd like to see At the Mountains of Madness get made so badly that I don't think I really care who (within reason) makes it at this point.

But it's gonna be tricky not showing too much - or explaining things away too neatly. From Lovecraft's perspective, the 'unknown' he was speaking of was intrinsically unknowable. That's a tough thing to convey in a movie - although Picnic at Hanging Rock managed to pull it off IMHO.

However, I think I'll have to disagree with King that Lovecraft didn't like people. His voluminous correspondence (approximately 100,000 letters, many of which contained several pages of very small writing) with friends, fellow authors, and fans seems to fly in the face of that. If Lovecraft were alive today he'd probably be the quintessential Facebook addict.

I suspect it was more that he (as a self-styled "elderly New England gentleman") was very embarrassed by his poverty. And because he couldn't properly receive and entertain visitors in the way he felt he should, that made him shy away from society. Especially since issuing reciprocal social invitations was the norm back then.

People who had met Lovecraft (plus his wife) had nothing but positive things to say about his elegant manners, friendliness, and personal warmth whenever he was in a face to face conversation.

He was, however, put out by rude and loud behavior, And he could be dismissive (according to some) towards those he considered to be socially 'inferior' types. But I hardly think that is a clear indication that he disliked people on the whole.

I know several people who are warm and vivacious and confident when corresponding or using social media - but who come across as being cold and ill at ease in a F2F situation. And closet prejudice and social snobbery aren't such rare behaviors that Lovecraft's manifesting them should set him apart as much different from most people you'll meet. Make a deliberately naive comment in a conversation with a group of people who fancy themselves 'sophisticated' and you'll soon see just how many otherwise 'educated' people are guilty of harboring similar attitudes to those they deem 'beneath' them.

So I'm gonna have to say Mr. King (who I do admire btw) missed the call when it came to HPL.

Renegade · « **Reply #118 on:** August 04, 2013, 04:03 PM »

Quote from: Vurbal on August 04, 2013, 03:47 PM

Quote from: Renegade on August 04, 2013, 03:23 PM
I'm wondering why people are advocating Del Toro for a Lovecraft film... I've seen some of his work, and he's good, but Lovecraft?
It wouldn't make any more sense to to Hellboy like Lovecraft than to do Pan's Labyrinth like Hellboy. A lot of the design elements just made me think he was a fan. Since At The Mountains Of Madness is his dream project that seems right.

Have you seen The Devil's Backbone? It's a ghost story, so not exactly the same, but between that, Hellboy, and Pan's Labyrinth I'm satisfied he can do it. He hasn't put them together in a single film but he hasn't done Lovecraft yet. Given how giddy he is about it and his refusal to do it unless he gets to make it right he's probably our best shot at this point. Based on what he's said, though, it's a very long shot.

Ok. I'm starting to see why there now. I've not see Pan's Labyrinth or The Devil's Backbone. I'm just not into subtitles. Been there - done that - tired of 'em. It's got to be one DAMN good flick for me to bother with subtitles.

Renegade · « **Reply #119 on:** August 04, 2013, 04:06 PM »

Quote from: 40hz on August 04, 2013, 03:54 PM

And I'd like to see At the Mountains of Madness get made so badly that I don't think I really care who (within reason) makes it at this point.

I was kind of hoping that it would get made well!

(Sorry - that was just such a wonderfully low-hanging dangling participle that I had to pick it~!

)

Vurbal · « **Reply #120 on:** August 04, 2013, 04:08 PM »

Quote from: Renegade on August 04, 2013, 03:27 PM

Oh, for Lovecraft fans (especially old AD&D players):

Ooh! Me! Me!
.
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.
.
.
.
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Wait, did you just call me old? I'll have you know I didn't get Basic D&D until Christmas of 1983 which means I had to buy my original cover PHB used. That makes me a kid compared to most of the other Champions players I know. I'm certainly not old enough to remember any version of Deities and Demigods with Cthulu in it.... if something like that existed.... which I wouldn't know.....

Just get off my lawn!

Vurbal · « **Reply #121 on:** August 04, 2013, 04:17 PM »

Quote from: 40hz on August 04, 2013, 03:54 PM

However, I think I'll have to disagree with King that Lovecraft didn't like people. His voluminous correspondence (approximately 100,000 letters, many of which contained several pages of very small writing) with friends, fellow authors, and fans seems to fly in the face of that. If Lovecraft were alive today he'd probably be the quintessential Facebook addict.

Actually I think that was me misquoting him. IIRC what he said was something like Lovecraft didn't like to deal with other people in person so he didn't have enough opportunity to observe and develop a feel for it. I don't have that problem. Most people are bad writers because the write the way the talk. I'm a horrible conversationalist because I talk the way I write.

And if anyone does want some good advice on writing there's a lot of it in that book. It helped me improve my writing immensely and I don't write fiction.

Vurbal · « **Reply #122 on:** August 04, 2013, 04:23 PM »

Quote from: Renegade on August 04, 2013, 04:03 PM

Quote from: Vurbal on August 04, 2013, 03:47 PM
Quote from: Renegade on August 04, 2013, 03:23 PM
I'm wondering why people are advocating Del Toro for a Lovecraft film... I've seen some of his work, and he's good, but Lovecraft?
It wouldn't make any more sense to to Hellboy like Lovecraft than to do Pan's Labyrinth like Hellboy. A lot of the design elements just made me think he was a fan. Since At The Mountains Of Madness is his dream project that seems right.

Have you seen The Devil's Backbone? It's a ghost story, so not exactly the same, but between that, Hellboy, and Pan's Labyrinth I'm satisfied he can do it. He hasn't put them together in a single film but he hasn't done Lovecraft yet. Given how giddy he is about it and his refusal to do it unless he gets to make it right he's probably our best shot at this point. Based on what he's said, though, it's a very long shot.

Ok. I'm starting to see why there now. I've not see Pan's Labyrinth or The Devil's Backbone. I'm just not into subtitles. Been there - done that - tired of 'em. It's got to be one DAMN good flick for me to bother with subtitles.

Hard to say on the Devil's Backbone although I seem to recall it being more quiet creepy than dialog. I don't trust my memory when it comes to details like that so don't take my word for it. I would definitely recommend Pan's Labyrinth. It's not horror so much as dark and atmospheric fantasy. My wife loved it and she acts like she's allergic to subtitles.

40hz · « **Reply #123 on:** August 04, 2013, 04:23 PM »

Quote from: Renegade on August 04, 2013, 03:23 PM

I'd think that one of these fellows would do a better job:

Terry Gilliam
Ralph Bakshi
Gregory Hoblit (Directed "Fallen", probably one of the best horror films of all time)

Bakshi has a twisted enough imagination to make things work. "Fritz! Fritz! They've killed Fritz!" - Hilariously twisted scene in "Wizards".

Terry Gilliam can warp darn near anything. He's an artist.

Not Terry Gilliam!!! He's jinxed! Nothing major he gets involved in ever seems to go anywhere. And since it doesn't ever seem to be the result of anything he did (i.e. stuff happens) I think he's jinxed.

One way we could guarantee a film to never get made: Let the briliant Terry Gilliam direct, the masterful Joss Whedon write the script, and for the coup de grâce cast the lovely Summer Glau in there someplace. Ever notice how any time one of those three show up the project suddenly experiences an incredible string of bad luck?

Not Bakshi either. Whatever early brilliance he showed soon got overwhelmed by his treating everything as one big goof and going for the money. Sellout! (I still have a bad taste in my mouth from what he did with his cartoon version of The Hobbit.)

Greg Hoblit...hmm...hmm...

Gonna have to think about that. Might work. Just might work.

Another candidate might be Joseph Ruben who hit exactly the right balance of show & hide (plus a low-key but eerily dark look) with the 2008 sleeper The Forgotten..

SPOILER WARNING - don't read if you want to be surprised.

One of the best alien abduction/psychological thriller hybrids ever made. Especially since you got halfway through the film before even that much was revealed.

Cool flick too. Highly Recommended.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYdiGm7im1I

Renegade · « **Reply #124 on:** August 04, 2013, 04:24 PM »

Quote from: Vurbal on August 04, 2013, 04:08 PM

Wait, did you just call me old? I'll have you know I didn't get Basic D&D until Christmas of 1983 which means I had to buy my original cover PHB used. That makes me a kid compared to most of the other Champions players I know. I'm certainly not old enough to remember any version of Deities and Demigods with Cthulu in it.... if something like that existed.... which I wouldn't know.....

Just get off my lawn!

Hahahahaa!

I have an original Deities & Demigods with all that in it. Though I bought it well after it came out - found it in a store one day and snatched it up real quick.

(I also have Chainmail in my collection.)