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| gromit |
 Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 5:24 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9015
Location: Shanghai
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bartist wrote: I read a synopsis of April etc. recently and it seemed like "a little silly at times" might be something of an understatement. For one thing, Faraday's work on electricity had already been started by then. But, mais oui, with the French eet eez all a metaphor, n'est-ce pas?
Well, in the film, electricity is a nascent field that doesn't develop due to the dearth of scientists. But the Mutant Lizard Kings do have some sort of attack cloud with electricity that they use to, um, attack. While April finds some sort of Tesla device that her (famous scientist) grandfather has rigged up, and when she turns it on, the Mutant Lizards are able to detect the electromagnetic field and thereby able to pinpoint her location.
In the film, all the scientists have been kidnapped and are working for the Lizards, so while the public has to make do with antiquated technology (steam, blimps, a cable car from Paris to Berlin), the lizard warlords have electrical devices and some futuristic tech developed in private but not shared.
The silly things to me were: The Mutant Lizard Kings, the indestructible/immortal serum, some things with the talking cat, etc. |
Last edited by gromit on Thu Mar 09, 2017 9:51 am; edited 2 times in total
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 9:24 am |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6961
Location: Black Hills
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 12:13 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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Kong: Skull Island is by far the best King Kong remake, which isn't saying much since the first one sucked and the second one constantly switched from excellent to mediocre and was endless to boot. But this new one has eye-popping visuals, superb use of 3-D, great "animals," and a show-stealing performance by John C. Reilly. It's not for children--much too intense--but it's enormous fun for everyone else.
Great to see John Ortiz in a major role. Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson are charismatic in the "straight" roles. Sam Jackson and John Goodman? What can one say? And Reilly is award-worthy. |
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 2:07 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4742
Location: Upstate NY
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bartist wrote: Ghulam, so as to avoid making this webpage five feet wide, you can remove everything after the question mark in a Times URL, and it will still work. Basically, everything after under-spell-James-Baldwin/ can be removed.
Thanks. I shall remember that. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 7:37 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12928
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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Ghulam wrote: bartist wrote: Ghulam, so as to avoid making this webpage five feet wide, you can remove everything after the question mark in a Times URL, and it will still work. Basically, everything after under-spell-James-Baldwin/ can be removed.
Thanks. I shall remember that.
Or you can use Tinyurl. |
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 3:40 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Upstate NY
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Isabelle Huppert is even better in "Things to Come" than she was in her Oscar nominated performance in "Elle". There are no high jinks dramatics in this movie; just a brave and "never-say-die" way of being in spite of major losses and setbacks marring the midlife years of a philosophy professor. The script and editing give a smooth, almost seamless, flow to the narrative. Images of lush French countryside are splendid. Won several awards for Isabelle Huppert and the director Mia Hansen-Løve, wife of Olivier Assayas (of 'Clouds of Sils Maria' and 'Personal Shopper').
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| Syd |
| Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 8:49 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12928
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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| That does sound good. |
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Rocky Laocoon foretold of Troy's doom, only to find snaky water. They pulled him in and Rocky can't swim. Now Rocky wishes he were an otter! |
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| inlareviewer |
| Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 7:59 pm |
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Joined: 05 Jul 2004
Posts: 1949
Location: Lawrence, KS
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Finally saw Moonlight. For once, the Aclademy got it right (even if Price-Waterhouse-Cooper/the Kodak stage managers/Beatty and Dunaway bungled its moment, and we all know how much inla LIVES for upsets in AMPASville -- politically, not so much, but we digress). Stunning, in all its particulars, affected us as no LGBTQ-skewed fillum has since Weekend, if not indeed Brokeback, and its very specificity gives it a profoundly universal reach. Indelible, ineffable and invaluable. Bravi a tutti, mille grazie, bravissimi.
And, come to think of it, have to say that up until the Master Thespian and Prima Donna awards (was, predictably, rooting for Mr. Washington and Mrs. Gummer, on sheer scope of craft and levels of difficulty mastered, all the way, no surprise THERE), this year's festivity from that, um, film society was, from where we sat, one of the best in eons, and Mr. Kimmel needs to return next year; what others found forced and stuntly -- the Starline tourists, the parachuted snacks, The Tweets -- made us plotz. The recipients tended toward spread-the-wealth-and-categorically justified, the speeches were largely heartfelt, meaningful and gracious, even at their most political; the presenters and song choices and montages were, as so seldom in recent years, actually entertaining,;and, after all is said and done, there was something awesome about witnessing Oscar History in the evening's final Historic Gaffe; also the genuine sense of globally inclusive HUMANITY that kept upending the formalities of self-congratulation. And Meryl never looked lovelier, so that's all right. Streep/Davis 2020.
Meanwhile, have discovered the soundtrack of the live-action Beauty and The Beast, and am, somewhat unexpectedly, quite loving its essential correctness, sense of style, and clarity of intent, aurally, anyhoo. Wasn't particularly interested in seeing it anytime soon, but now am most intrigued. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 8:05 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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| inla--Totally agree about the Oscars, especially about Kimmel. Don't get the criticisms of the tourist bus at all. Did not find it the slightest bit condescending. As I think you know, I was not in love with La Viola's flowery acceptance, but she certainly can speak! And everyone else was on the money. Best Oscars in a long time, befitting the excellence of the year 2016 in movies if little else. |
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| inlareviewer |
| Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 8:35 pm |
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Joined: 05 Jul 2004
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Location: Lawrence, KS
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| willybeeds, well, yes, Viola Dearest was certainly, um, rehearsed, but, then again, it was her chance to make a statement, and she sure as hell grabbed it. We saw it as preparation for her future presiding over the Senate, tee-hee. But yeah, Mr. Kimmel vaulted past Johnny Carson all the way to Bob Hope, just that simple. Plus, there was this delicious irony in the son of the Young Americans' founder manning the sound board backstage during the mini-chaotic jump-cuts after the Reveal of The Bungle (Am pretty sure that the 60s-era Young Americans documentary was the last previously announced winner to have their award revoked, and if so, then there's some freaky synchronistic coinkydinky for ya). Also very much loved how most of the celebs went with the shtick in good humor, or how the Scientific Awards recap was, as never, a hoot. All in all, it was actually a genuinely fun ceremony, no small feat for a marathon on a school night. Not to mention Mrs. Gummer's subtle sartorial nod to HRH HRC's first inaugural frock, to say nothing of Ms. Monáe's Great Big Mega-Gown -- maybe not since Prince's Purple Messiah Robes or Matt and Trey's Gwyneth/JLo Drag or Björk's Swan Dress have our eyebrows so raised and our jaw so dropped. Fabulous. |
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"And take extra care with strangers/Even flowers have their dangers/And though scary is exciting/Nice is different than good." --Stephen Sondheim |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 9:32 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| Had not heard about the Young Americans thing. Weird. |
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2017 1:03 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4742
Location: Upstate NY
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| Befade |
| Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2017 12:21 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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| Ghulum...I saw Things to Come. (I will see anything Isabelle is in.). And agree with you. She has a huge range of characters done well. In Things she was playing real, not affected, not pretentious. So for me, she pulled emotions. |
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| Befade |
| Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2017 12:44 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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| Good article about Get Out. I have to say that i intuited that there would be a problem from the beginning of that movie. That Allison William's character, a sweet, docile type female would gravitate toward a very black guy didn't mesh. From what I've heard very dark black females are sensitive to being discriminated by all males. Thus it would take a much bolder and unconventional female character to hook up with a very dark black male. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2017 1:45 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6961
Location: Black Hills
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I have no clue where you are getting your information, Befade. Or what you are saying. Certain females will not hook up with the very dark complexioned? What?
Am seeing the movie today, so will then be better equipped to parse all this, maybe. |
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