What Movies Have You Seen Lately?

January 29th, 2018 at 1:05:52 PM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Quote: Wizard
* Please accept my apology if this comes as a spoiler.


It's not really a plot movie, so those reveals would do nothing to spoil the movie.

I am beginning to think that this is more of a Best Actress picture instead of a Best Picture.
January 29th, 2018 at 1:11:35 PM permalink
ams288
Member since: Apr 21, 2016
Threads: 29
Posts: 12422
Quote: Pacomartin
It's not really a plot movie, so those reveals would do nothing to spoil the movie.

I am beginning to think that this is more of a Best Actress picture instead of a Best Picture.


We've still got over a month to go, but all you hear about Three Billboards is people complaining about it.

I would not be surprised at all if The Shape of Water sneaks in for the win...
“A straight man will not go for kids.” - AZDuffman
January 29th, 2018 at 1:29:52 PM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Quote: ams288
I would not be surprised at all if The Shape of Water sneaks in for the win...

Pan's Labyrinth was a similar movie by director Guillermo del Toro.

Pan won
Best Art Direction
Best Cinematography
Best Makeup

but it lost
Best Original Score
Best Foreign Language Film
Best Original Screenplay

The Shape of Water led all nominees with thirteen nominations, but I think what's past is prologue, and I would be shocked if "The Shape of Water" walks away with one of the five big prizes.




Best Picture Guillermo del Toro and J. Miles Dale
Best Director Guillermo del Toro
Best Actress Sally Hawkins
Best Supporting Actor Richard Jenkins
Best Supporting Actress Octavia Spencer

Best Original Screenplay Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor
Best Original Score Alexandre Desplat
Best Sound Editing Nathan Robitaille and Nelson Ferreira
Best Sound Mixing Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern and Glen Gauthier
Best Production Design Paul D. Austerberry, Jeff Melvin and Shane Vieau
Best Cinematography Dan Laustsen
Best Costume Design Luis Sequeira
Best Film Editing Sidney Wolinsky
January 29th, 2018 at 2:36:52 PM permalink
Fleastiff
Member since: Oct 27, 2012
Threads: 62
Posts: 7831
Quote: Wizard
The fact of the matter was it was a stone cold case. I doubt the police department worked on it very hard but it I took it that they had no leads and nothing to work off of.
Sometimes people really do hate that squeaky wheel but often the 'nothing to work off of' is the fault of the cops. Punta Gorda, Florida decade ago: cops took statement of next door neighbor who didn't see much but mentioned she recalled what day it was because she had her Sister in Law in the car. Cops never entered 'sister in law' in the index book. Two retired detectives from up north found that full time fishing and golf was not exciting enough so they became a cold-case squad and tracked down that geographically remote Sister in Law who fully described the two men who carried the rolled-up rug out of the front door and loaded it into their truck. She had no way of knowing a twelve year old girl's corpse was inside that rug. An eye witness who could easily have been found twenty years earlier.
January 29th, 2018 at 3:28:25 PM permalink
Wizard
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Quote: Fleastiff
Punta Gorda, Florida decade ago: cops took statement of next door neighbor who didn't see much but mentioned she recalled what day it was ...


I'm not a homicide detective, although played a homicide pathologist on TV once, so not something I can speak to well. I do think that any murder case should given it's due diligence, no matter how much of a "who done it?" case it is.

On another topic, on the drive between LA and Vegas somebody has a homemade sign on his property which faces the I-15 that says something negative about the San Bernadino County Sheriff's Office. I think it something about them hassling him over nothing but the sign is too small and I drive too fast to read the whole thing. As I recall, it's somewhere just north of Barstow.
Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber
January 29th, 2018 at 3:49:36 PM permalink
Mosca
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 22
Posts: 730
Quote: Wizard


I am not sure if the audience was supposed to like or sympathize with Mildred. I certainly did not. She caused nothing but pain and suffering of others due to the billboards. The fact of the matter was it was a stone cold case. I doubt the police department worked on it very hard but it I took it that they had no leads and nothing to work off of.


I think it was supposed to be difficult in that regard. You were supposed to realize that her pain didn't make her a good person. And Dixon being a wretched person didn't mean that he wasn't interested in finding the killer out of a sense of justice.
January 29th, 2018 at 4:21:45 PM permalink
Wizard
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Quote: Mosca
I think it was supposed to be difficult in that regard. You were supposed to realize that her pain didn't make her a good person. And Dixon being a wretched person didn't mean that he wasn't interested in finding the killer out of a sense of justice.


What was your take on the ending? My interpretation was that Mildred finally realized that it had gone too far and to let it go. In other words, on the way to Idaho she would call the whole thing off. Then probably go back home and take the billboard down or just let them expire or get torched again.
Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber
January 29th, 2018 at 4:52:43 PM permalink
beachbumbabs
Member since: Sep 3, 2013
Threads: 6
Posts: 1600
Quote: Wizard
Just saw Three Billboards. Liked it but didn't love it. I can't fault the movie for anything. The reason I only liked it was there was not one redeeming character in the whole movie, except maybe the guy who worked for the advertising agency and the second police chief*. The movie was a good study on revenge but an even better movie on that subject matter is Relatos Salvajes, which may go by the translated name Wild Tales. I think Paco urged me to see it, and if so, it was a great suggestion.

This movie is the front runner for Best Picture in the Academy Awards. It must not have been a strong year for movies if this is the best one. Again, not saying it's bad, but not the epic that would expect of a Best Picture Award.

* Please accept my apology if this comes as a spoiler.


Probably will be a lot of surprises this year for Oscars. After the infamous White Oscars (can't remember if it was last year or the year before), the Academy went out of its way to get new members of color and females, to try and build in some diversity in nominations and wins.

This is supposed to be the first year those new demographics really affect the voting. So don't get burned on picks, especially if you're betting the awards, because there may be little correlation between past years or trends, and a strong social peer pressure to vote politically rather than on merit.

Perhaps you can find an edge, though, if you select with that in mind. No telling how much the skew will affect the results. But I would guess any movie with a connection to an accused harasser will have a hidden negative component, in addition to the diversity demographic effect.
Never doubt a small group of concerned citizens can change the world; it's the only thing ever has
January 29th, 2018 at 5:15:45 PM permalink
terapined
Member since: Aug 6, 2014
Threads: 73
Posts: 11786
Quote: beachbumbabs
Quote: Wizard
Just saw Three Billboards. Liked it but didn't love it. I can't fault the movie for anything. The reason I only liked it was there was not one redeeming character in the whole movie, except maybe the guy who worked for the advertising agency and the second police chief*. The movie was a good study on revenge but an even better movie on that subject matter is Relatos Salvajes, which may go by the translated name Wild Tales. I think Paco urged me to see it, and if so, it was a great suggestion.

This movie is the front runner for Best Picture in the Academy Awards. It must not have been a strong year for movies if this is the best one. Again, not saying it's bad, but not the epic that would expect of a Best Picture Award.

* Please accept my apology if this comes as a spoiler.


Probably will be a lot of surprises this year for Oscars. After the infamous White Oscars (can't remember if it was last year or the year before), the Academy went out of its way to get new members of color and females, to try and build in some diversity in nominations and wins.

This is supposed to be the first year those new demographics really affect the voting. So don't get burned on picks, especially if you're betting the awards, because there may be little correlation between past years or trends, and a strong social peer pressure to vote politically rather than on merit.

Perhaps you can find an edge, though, if you select with that in mind. No telling how much the skew will affect the results. But I would guess any movie with a connection to an accused harasser will have a hidden negative component, in addition to the diversity demographic effect.

I don't think there is much peer pressure to make some kind of politically correct vote
The ballots are secret, only the people that work in the industry get to vote
Seems the biggest influence is Variety magazine and the ads the studios put in there. Just ad after ad asking for a vote. "For your consideration"
I think some voters vote for how they want the business to be perceived
I think most voters watch the movies (they get early DVD copies) and vote for what they like
Sometimes we live no particular way but our own - Grateful Dead "Eyes of the World"
January 29th, 2018 at 6:25:41 PM permalink
Ayecarumba
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 89
Posts: 1744
“12 Strong”. Based on the declassified story of the first American military force to battle the Taliban in Afghanistan after 9/11. If you like shoot em ups, it’s an entertaining military action film, but it is clear that much of the actual story has been dressed up to make the movie more interesting. Despite only one guy having experience riding a horse, they are able to ride and shoot the bad guys like Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit”. It’s a Jerry Bruckheimer production, so historic accuracy isn’t the first priority (that position, as in most of his films, goes to a helicopter).

Maybe one of the most disturbing adaptations is the casting of minorities to play some of the caucasians on the actual team. What’s up with that? Effectively, the parts are not race dependent, but it’s supposed to be a true story.

The 12 were sent in to support a local warlord’s militia in their fight against the Taliban by providing coordinates for smart bombs. They were only in country for three weeks. The film portrays their activities during that time as shooting their way through supply dumps, taking on tanks with rifles on horseback, and through all the gunfire, coming out with only a few flesh wounds. It gets to be like an episode of “The A-Team”.

I suspect the reality was that they were actually just sneaking up on Taliban positions, painting them with lasers so that the smart bombs could hit them, then sneaking away. Not enough action for a feature film about the untold story of American heroes.


Despite the problems, including not explaining why the lead American has an Australian accent, I enjoy shoot em ups and would give the film 7 bags of horse feed out of 10.