Amph At The Movies (film discussion thread)

Man those first 13 minutes of Unbreakable are so greatly low-key disturbing and disorienting. Yet it still rather faithfully hits all of the Superhero Origin Story beats. It's such a great mash-up movie that definitely works better on 2nd viewing when you know what it's about. It's not built around a twist but really a tonal style that you understand what it is. The title card about comic books at the front helps a bit.

 

@DarthMane2

I got to admit when I first saw the trailer I thought it was a fan trailer and/or hoax. Glad to see Reitman's kid directing. I think he is going to do a bangup job as he is really a talented director and put the franchise back on good standing.

@BigAl6ft6

Agree, Unbreakable is a very underrated movie IMHO.

 

I can't believe I've actually finished this first section of my 2018 retrospective. Yes, this is the final post in my Best Films of 2017 I Saw in 2018 series. This time it's the top ten movies. No real surprises. All of these movies appeared on my previous male & female performances lists. I'm shall move on to my 2018 films I saw in 2018 lists next.

2017 Films I Saw in 2018

Top 10 Best Films



Call Me By Your Name

Luminously romantic film has moments of true perfection, striking performances and some of the best film music of the year.



The Death of Stalin

Guffaw-inducingly hilarious and unremittingly bleak at the same time; captures the way cruelty and buffoonery often exist simultaneously in the political world.



First Reformed

Rigorously thoughtful and haunting spiritual meditation on the moral responsibilities of faith and the persistent presence of doubt with a brilliant lead performance.



Foxtrot

Nihilistic drama from Israel examines national trauma, disillusionment and the inescapable nature of fate.



Hostiles

Criminally underrated Western examines violence and its inescapable repercussions.



I, Tonya

A batch of brilliant performances brings this absurdist look at a bizarre sports scandal to near comic perfection, but with some heart as well.



Loveless

A broken marriage, a missing child, an economically and psychological traumatized country; these are the trappings of this beautifully bleak Russian drama.



Revenge

An ultra-violent, high-octane twist on old school exploitation is entertaining, no-holds-barred and a cry of rage for all victimized women.



The Rider

Understated, painful drama is a deeply empathetic look at emotional disconnection and sadness after traumatic injury.



Thoroughbreds

Twisted, darkly comic film executes the thriller genre perfectly and subverts in all the right ways to create a delicious entertainment.

 

hah, I had to re-read that headline that it WAS supposed to be 2017 movies. I really dug Death of Stalin but I never know which year to land it on, it premiered across the pond in 2017 but wasn't released in North America until 2018. Great movie anyway.

Semi-related, cool article on Variety that basically every potential frontrunner Oscar nominee for 2018 has some sort of controversy surrounding it. Everyone's really ticked off! Hopefully this'll lead to Infinity War crushing all nominations!

https://variety.com/2019/film/in-contention/an-oscar-season-of-anger-1203104432/

So that’s seven films which have become grist for the commentariat in some way, shape or form. That feels like an outsized number. Are we all so angry at the direction of things sociopolitically that the usual sensitivities are heightened? Because truly, nothing feels like it’s going to be good enough this Oscar season. And if other industry favorites playing in the background of this mess were to find better traction in the race, such as “Black Panther,” “Crazy Rich Asians” or “A Quiet Place,” wouldn’t they be more loudly dismissed as mere populist entertainment?

Only “The Favourite” has managed to keep its nose clean. Perhaps the statute of limitations has expired on the possible sins of an 18th century-set romp about Queen Anne’s court.

 

I got to watch that Ghostbusters teaser with sound last night. I'm not really sure what to make of it. The music and revelation of the original Ecto-1 would definitely get nostalgic fans excited; but what does it mean? I don't understand the reports that it will be a sequel "to the original movie". The original movie already had a sequel; which did star the main cast. Somehow I doubt the new one will star the original cast after all these years; especially without Harold Ramis. If they replaced his character with another actor I'd walk out of the theater without looking back; or I just wouldn't care to see it anyway.

 

It's Ghostbusters 3, sequel to the two original films.

And the premise sounds crap. This could be even worse than the 2016 one.

 

What's the premise?

 

From what I understand it's supposed to be centered around a group of younger characters that get to know members of the original crew, find their old gear, etc. and transition into a potential new generation of busters.

 

I'm not sure how that's even possible.

I don't think that sounds terrible. At least if Murray, Ackroyd, and Hudson appear in the new flick, they'll be their OWN TRUE CHARACTERS. I'm just skeptical in regards to what they might do with Egon's character.

 

Yeah, I usually go with the date listed on IMDB. It's hard to parse all the different release dates and festival debuts and indie film roll-outs and such, so I just keep it simple that way.

 

I would assume Jason Reitman wouldn't recast Egon. Based on interviews I read, his quotes make me feel that he has the same love for this franchise that JJ has for Star Wars. Therefore I would assume Jason is going to take a similar approach with the Ghostbusters sequel and try to make it accessible to a new generation while not forgetting the events of the past. At this point, I don't see how it can be worse than the bastardization of the franchise that was done by the 2016 Paul Feig film.

 

Well, that certainly worked out flawlessly.

 

Here's the thing about Abrams and SW. If he didn't pick up the helm after Lucas left, who would have done it? Maybe we just wouldn't have had a ST at all (much less the anthology films); it'd be left with the ongoing series made only for the small screen. You think a big name director would've taken up the cause like Spielberg or Cameron? Or Bay?

 

Michael Bay do Star Wars?


...

 

Imagine Starkiller Base's explosion if he were at the helm.

 

Put a pair of sunglasses on each of those people in the upper corner and this could be a poster for Matrix 4.

 

Well, it's good to see that his enemies have learned about the principle of friendly fire since the last poster.

 

Gun nuts will be popping a tent at the sight of those posters.

 

My favorite quote from that trailer is describing everything and everyone in that city against him. "Yeah, it's about even."

 

So he’ll show no evidence of knowing or caring anything about it?

 

This looks somewhat interesting as a promotional event in advance of the new Alita movie. I'd at least think about going to the one in Brooklyn.



https://io9.gizmodo.com/alita-battle-angels-interactive-experience-puts-you-at-1831812018