blackboxme Posted March 13, 2009 Unrelated to Watchmen because I was too lazy to go to the theater last weekend, here's my review of the movie Mongol, a movie that should appeal to anyone who played a lot of Age of Empires back in the day. What is man like in his natural state? Maybe something like an 11th century Mongolian horseman. These men grow their hair out because it's bad-ass; they ride around the steppe all day hanging out with their buddies and cracking jokes; the Mongol's god is the lord of the blue sky. These dudes are super relaxed and super bad-ass at the same time and Mongol is a movie them. It's part Western, part samurai movie, part The Big Lebowski. Fuck yeah! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blackboxme Posted March 13, 2009 ThunderPeel2001 said: As the film progressed the war felt more imminent and real -- in the comic it felt like something less tangible (to me). Maybe I should read it again. Have you ever heard of the doomsday clock? It was a key visual element in the comic. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brkl Posted March 13, 2009 He's read the comic... so obviously. I agree with him -- in the comic book, nuclear war was something the people talk about, but what do they know? It showed that people were scared, but even though Nixon was in charge, he probably wouldn't actually start a nuclear war. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blackboxme Posted March 13, 2009 brkl said: He's read the comic... so obviously. I agree with him -- in the comic book, nuclear war was something the people talk about, but what do they know? It showed that people were scared, but even though Nixon was in charge, he probably wouldn't actually start a nuclear war. I guess in our innocent times, it seems impossible that it could have happened, but whatever, clearly it could have happened. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
syntheticgerbil Posted March 15, 2009 (edited) Alan Moore can bite me, as well as his pal Dave Sim, and every other bloated comics industry persona that writes flowery phrases like, "not unlike." TROLL DONE! Edited March 16, 2009 by syntheticgerbil Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SignorSuperdouche Posted March 15, 2009 blackboxme said: Have you ever heard of the doomsday clock? It was a key visual element in the comic. This struck me as the equivalent of the more recent colour coded terror alert system from the NSA or whoever it was. People may have taken it seriously at the time, but it just seemed a bit daft to me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderPeel2001 Posted March 16, 2009 syntheticgerbil said: Alan Moore can bite me, as well as his pal Dave Sim, and every other bloated comics industry persona that writes flowery phrases like, "not unlike."TROLL DONE! Nah. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
syntheticgerbil Posted March 17, 2009 Don't feed the troll. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderPeel2001 Posted March 18, 2009 You're a very polite troll. Are you sure you're not hungry? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
syntheticgerbil Posted March 18, 2009 I just need some coffee and I'll try to be less cranky. Dear Movie/TV recommendations thread, I'm off to Spike and Mike tonight to look at all the vile and disgusting cartoons that get you great jobs in the industry. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderPeel2001 Posted March 18, 2009 I believe some Thumbs mentioned an interest in this...? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
syntheticgerbil Posted March 18, 2009 Hooray! It's still coming! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wrestlevania Posted March 18, 2009 Just watched Waltz With Bashir; I need to get back into foreign language cinema again, because this was amazing -- not just the harrowing story or the film's striking visual style, but the score by Max Richter is also fucking fantastic. It's tough to watch, but I heartily recommend it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brkl Posted March 21, 2009 (edited) People, the new episode of Dollhouse was good! Properly, thoroughly good! EDIT: Oh! Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles is really good. Honest! The first season was quite crappy and the actor playing Connor didn't fit the part at all. I just watched for an hours downtime each week. But the second season has been getting better all the time. It seems impossible that the people behind the first season could pull it off, but everything seems to click in place now. Even Connor's actor has grown into the role. The newest episode is better than a ton of Galactica episodes... Edited March 21, 2009 by brkl Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wrestlevania Posted March 23, 2009 I would concede that the latest episode of Dollhouse was indeed more entertaining than usual, and by some stretch. But why has it taken 5.5hrs to get up to something really, genuinely interesting? Also, Whedon over-egged the pudding in my opinion: Reveal hidden contents Making the neighbour an active was a step too far. Whilst initially quite a cool idea, it makes things less believable for me now; Dollhouse is much less about the real world and more about its own, tightly controlled microcosm now. Which I find less appealing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wrestlevania Posted March 23, 2009 On the filmic side of things, Mrs V and I watched Gran Torino this weekend. And oh dear, it's not meant to be this fist-gnawingly hilarious, is it..? It's B-grade straight-to-TV shlock at best, but appears to have warranted a cinematic release because it had Clint Eastwood growling and mumbling through it. You could see the dialogue setups coming scenes in advance. For instance, Eastwood's character is hounded by a persistent preacher who, upon the death of Eastwood's wife, promised he would get Eastwood to attend confession. Finally, Eastwood's character concedes and goes to church to appease the vicar (and his dead wife). And when the preacher asks, "When was the last time you took confession?" grizzled and battered war veteran Eastwood rumbles back, "...forever." And his isn't the worst performance in it either, not by some measure. Awful film. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Roderick Posted March 23, 2009 I enjoyed watching that movie. Eastwood can carry that stuff. But I'll admit, I did watch it in a sort of 'go get 'em, Clint!' way, not like I would any other movie. Let me put it like this: if Clint hadn't been in it, I wouldn't have cared two bits. But now it had a growling, scowling old man who does nothign but grunt for the first five minutes. And that's pretty awesome. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brkl Posted March 23, 2009 I really liked Gran Torino. Nice little story. Not many movies take the side of racist assholes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
syntheticgerbil Posted March 25, 2009 http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/wherethewildthingsare/ Looks kind of good, some of the CG in the face is too smooth, but eh. I really wish they didn't use Arcade Fire in the trailer. God I hate that artwank band. I swear their record company paid off all the major publications for good reviews. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scrobbs Posted March 29, 2009 I though Gran Torino was bloody funny. Loved it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wrestlevania Posted March 29, 2009 We rewatched Quantum of Solace last weekend (at home this time) and it was a lot better than either me or Mrs V remembered when we saw it in the cinema. So I'm changing my opinion from an emphatic to a definite I also got started on the second season of Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles, which seems pretty good so far (finished episode 3). One thing still really bothers me about it, though: the thinly veiled undercurrent of incest (between John and Sarah) almost makes me physically ill at times. Whether it is "clever" or not, I don't care; it makes for uncomfortable viewing and has me literally squirming in my seat. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brkl Posted March 30, 2009 ... What the fuck are you talking about? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderPeel2001 Posted March 30, 2009 Wrestlevania said: We rewatched Quantum of Solace last weekend (at home this time) and it was a lot better than either me or Mrs V remembered when we saw it in the cinema.So I'm changing my opinion from an emphatic to a definite Yay! Told you Damn fine movie, especially on subsequent viewings. Unfortunately, there is news from Daniel "not a screenwriter" Craig: Quote Craig insists that the next Bond film will not be a continuum of Quantum of Solace. "I'm done with that story," he said. Gee, thanks Daniel. Quote "Let's try and find [out] where Moneypenny came from and where Q comes from. Let's do all that and have some fun with it," he added. Great. Maybe you could have an invisible car in the next one... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wrestlevania Posted March 30, 2009 As long as the climax is a smarming Roger Moore exploding in a cloud of fire, I don't mind. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
