tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656921634940224775.post5360421835682528510..comments2024-02-11T15:29:31.409-05:00Comments on Richard's Pretension: Movies for a Snow DayRichard Bellushhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10108081864942272619noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656921634940224775.post-15817331388619870032015-02-05T23:53:03.609-05:002015-02-05T23:53:03.609-05:00That's pretty much my feeling about recent fil...That's pretty much my feeling about recent films of that sort too. When episodes of the low-budget 90s TV show "Hercules" are more fun to watch than a would-be blockbuster film (and they are), the makers of the would-be blockbuster have done something wrong.<br /><br />So much is wrong with the science and history in "Lucy" that one can have fun just trying to keep track of the errors. That said, it still works as sf/adventure laced with (dubious) philosophy, and Scarlett is the one who makes it work.Richard Bellushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10108081864942272619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656921634940224775.post-47510795205192588472015-02-05T20:39:44.209-05:002015-02-05T20:39:44.209-05:00I usually dig sword and sorcery films, but these r...I usually dig sword and sorcery films, but these recent ones just don't seem to work. They end up being too damn serious and dour - no fun with the adventure moment at all. They usually skip right past moments of wonder and just head into the CGI overloaded action scenes. I keep hoping someone will come along and do one of these things right... but in most cases they just keep cranking out the same stuff.<br /><br />Both "Hercules" and "Pompeii" looked like the same old same old. And I'm getting sick of pulling the fantasy out of Greek myths in these modern films. COME ON! These are supposed to be magical adventures with amazing things happening. At least the remake of "Clash of the Titans" got that part right. <br /><br />Anyway, rant over. I just need to check out Lucy, because Scarlett can always make me smile. :)Roman J. Martelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09545497713474664555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656921634940224775.post-49136624065573926022015-01-28T13:48:09.204-05:002015-01-28T13:48:09.204-05:00Despite some timebound and deliberately silly dial...Despite some timebound and deliberately silly dialogue (some of it inside humor between filmmakers Cooper and Shoedsack), "King Kong" (1933) is brilliant on so many levels that it would be tough to equal it in a sequel. Cooper and Shoedsack (who incidentally appear as the pilot and gunner of the plane that kills King Kong) didn't even try. They were having a bit of fun with "The Son of Kong" while they still had the sets -- sets that they used once more in "She" -- and hoped the audience would too. By sinking the island, they also made unlikely a "Kong, part 3," for which they deserve credit.<br /><br />Given some of the reviews I'd seen, "Lucy" exceeded my expectations, too.Richard Bellushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10108081864942272619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656921634940224775.post-17268673558055287132015-01-28T12:29:02.430-05:002015-01-28T12:29:02.430-05:00I'd say the two winners there are Charly and L...I'd say the two winners there are Charly and Lucy. Charly because it's just a good film, and Lucy because I wasn't even going to watch it, but oddly enough someone put up a pirate? version on YT and I decided to watch it. Oddly it sucked me right into the story, and it exceeded my expectations--granted Limitless was a better film. That said though, it was par for a film directed by Luc Besson, and felt like some of SF escapism I used to watch in my youth. I enjoy this more than Inception, although I don't know that that says much. <br /><br />Son of Kong, was almost a let down after the original, but it's worth watching once. I'm curious about this new film Kong Island or whatever it's called. <br /><br />My patience for some of these sword and sandal films are limited. I tried to watch Troy and it bored me silly, though I enjoyed Gladiator a lot, and the Rome TV series. Funny though that you compared Pompeii to Conan, which I enjoyed as well. <br /><br />I haven't seen A Tall Dark Stranger, but I would imagine it has some merit, most Allen films do. <br /><br />El Voxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05985563041511492981noreply@blogger.com