Movies! - Tenchiforum

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- December 21, 2012 at 9:45 PM
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chucklocker
Participant

Movies rock! The art of cinema is one of my personal favorite developments of the 20th century, and has produced some truly inspired masterpieces over the years. This thread is for discussion of all things movie related. Share with us anything from what movies you just watched, what you’re looking forward to, your favorites, what you think are the best (yes, there is a difference!), genre, director, etc. Going off on tangents, as long as they are significantly related to movies, is fine, as are spirited and respectful debates about elements of movies. Please keep your responses thoughtful and interesting (no one sentence posts!!!!). I’ll start:

I love movies of all genres, but I have a particularly soft spot in my heart for science fiction, the best example of which in my mind is Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey.

My favorite director of all time is Peter Weir (The Truman Show, Dead Poets Society, Witness). The sense of foreboding and doom that pervade his films is the most palpable and visceral sensation I’ve ever encountered in any movie.

It’s so hard to choose a favorite movie, but I have to go with Wall-E. It’s one of the most intelligent, sweet, touching, and emotional films I have ever seen, and it’s a sci-fi to boot!

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- - December 21, 2012 at 10:14 PM
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  Makoto_Mizuhara
  Member
  
  I gotta ask- what movie made you cry the most?
- - January 3, 2013 at 8:24 PM
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  mitsuki lover
  Member
  
  I never saw it but I know that Ol’Yeller is a big tear producer.
  
  And I now nominate Chucklocker as this forum’s Remington Steele/Anthony DiNozo.
  
  (Two of the biggest fictional movie otakus in tv history.)
- - January 3, 2013 at 9:43 PM
  - Quote
  chucklocker
  Participant
  
  ~~mitsuki lover wrote:~~
  
  I never saw it but I know that Ol’Yeller is a big tear producer.
  
  And I now nominate Chucklocker as this forum’s Remington Steele/Anthony DiNozo.
  
  (Two of the biggest fictional movie otakus in tv history.)
  
  Lol, thanks for the vote of confidence ML! Unfortunately I’m going to have to let you down as I have neither seen Ol’Yeller, nor have I heard of Remington Steele or Anthony DiNozo before lol 😆
  
  Anyway, to answer your question Makoto, I am a bit weird in that I don’t really cry at sad movies. Strangely enough it’s the inspirational and joyful scenes in movies that make me cry like a baby! The best two examples I can think of off the top of my head is the splashdown scene at the end of the movie Apollo 13 (THE movie of my childhood, btw, and one of my favorite movies of all time!) and the miracle after the passion/crucifixion scene at the end of Ben-Hur (THE best movie of all time in my opinion).
  
  I’m cool with answering questions about what movies I like, and believe me I can go on forever lol, but I really wanna hear what everyone else hear has to say about movies too! Surely I’m not the only movie buff or film fan here, so feel free and take the conversation in whatever (movie related) direction you guys want!
- - January 4, 2013 at 12:40 AM
  - Quote
  wwwwhhhhoooo
  Moderator
  
  Movies thread? Well…I could talk for a spell about movies (praising or complaining, whichever direction the conversation flows) good idea chuck, and I can’t say I’m all that surprised since one of the things I’ve learned about you via this forum is your love of all things cinema, and that’s just…so cool!
  
  I’ll just start with Makoto’s prompt: what makes me cry (in movies, to narrow it down) 😆
  
  It’s a curious thing, because I’m never quite sure what will do it for me. Though I’m with chuck in the fact that it’s not just the “sad” things that get me, it can be the triumphant moments or the touching moments that can make me well up. Though not just any happy moment will do; I have to be invested in the characters.
  
  But I think the most reason something will really tug on my heart strings–why any scene in any particular movie will have that effect on people–is when it transcends the diegesis of the film and hits home in a personal way.
  
  Recent case in point: In Peter Jackson’s The Hobbitthe scene in which Gandalf tells Galadriel his reasons for choosing Bilbo–a hobbit, of all creatures–for his quest: “I don’t know. Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I find it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps because I am afraid, and he gives me courage.” That line in particular is so heavy emotionally for me, because–not to go off-topic with the point of this thread, but especially evident since certain recent events transpired here in America–we live in some dark times right now. There is darkness in the world, it’s real, and it has many faces; it rears its ugly head when certain inexplicable horrors happen, and we’re left wondering ‘why?’. Against such seemingly insurmountable dread, it’s not the “big” things that keep the world spinning (so to speak) but the little things, the acts of kindness that go unnoticed that keeps evil in check. In this day and age where media is EVERYWHERE and we’re constantly assaulted with dogmatic rhetoric, and mind-numbing adverts, and hypocritical acts of fake piety, nowadays the best way to be “loud” with any kind of statement is with a soft voice of reason (speak softly, carry a big stick) rather than attempting to rant about “the end times” in NY square or condemning people for their sinfulness on the steps of the capitol (or something equally absurd).
  
  I guess I’ll close this unplanned, unorganized rant with a strong take-home theme from The Hobbit that I’ve found significant: whether it’s dealing with everyday circumstances in The Shire, showing restraint with Gollum or going on a crazy adventure with a band of dwarves he just met, Bilbo time-and-time again does the right thing–in big and little ways–not for profit, or a “greater cause” or as dictated by any kind of religion–simply because it’s the right thing to do. I think that kind of thinking can go a long ways if we all give it a chance once in a while.
  
  (we now return you to your regularly-scheduled thread) 😉
- - January 11, 2013 at 9:26 PM
  - Quote
  chucklocker
  Participant
  
  Good points Who!
  
  I gave it some more thought, and I remembered that there is at least one sad scene that tears me up every time I watch it: The scene towards the end of Forrest Gump where Forrest is speaking to Jenny at her grave under their tree. God, I’m tearing up just thinking about it now! There are so many absolutely tragic scenes in that movie, but for some reason it’s this one that I feel is really the emotional culmination of Forrest’s story.
- - January 11, 2013 at 9:50 PM
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  mitsuki lover
  Member
  
  I just thought of the scene from Gladiator when the legionnaires kill the title character’s wife and son.
- - January 11, 2013 at 10:03 PM
  - Quote
  Makoto_Mizuhara
  Member
  
  Surprisingly enough the ending to Terminator 2 makes me cry a bit.
- - February 3, 2013 at 7:22 PM
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  Thorn
  Member
  
  ~~Makoto_Mizuhara wrote:~~
  
  I gotta ask- what movie made you cry the most?
  
  The end of Beaches gets me every time!
  
  [BBvideo 425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiS8YokFzeY[/BBvideo]
- - February 6, 2013 at 8:11 PM
  - Quote
  mitsuki lover
  Member
  
  The ending of THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON when Errol Flynn as Custer gets killed by the Indians.
- - February 7, 2013 at 2:41 AM
  - Quote
  Thorn
  Member
  
  There’s a scene in Glory (about the first black regiment; the 54th Massachussetts) where the 54th is getting ready to lead an assault on Ft. Wagner and Matthew Broderick playing their leader is just so moving! Throughout the scene you can tell he’s just mentally preparing himself to die, and it culminates with him letting his horse go free on the beach right before the regiment marches into battle. A lot of the emotional impact of that scene has to do with James Horner’s beautiful score, but still it’s just so amazing!
  
  [BBvideo 425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NYB67m1ccg[/BBvideo]
  
  It starts just shortly after the opening scene of the video.
- - February 7, 2013 at 3:16 AM
  - Quote
  chucklocker
  Participant
  
  I love Glory (no great surprise there, coming from a history buff! 😆 ), and I’m very glad that you brought up James Horner! I am a massive fan of his work, and you are correct in saying that his score is largely responsible for the emotional impact of that movie. After John Williams, Horner is probably the greatest movie composer of all time, and it is especially his work in Science Fiction movies that strikes me as the most compelling, as it is in this field that he exceeds even Williams’ bona fides. His work in that field includes such masterworks as the scores of Star Trek II & III, Aliens, and Avatar, but nothing will ever compare in my mind with the unmitigated awesomeness that is:
  [BBvideo 425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhxBAegoebI[/BBvideo]
  And there you have my nerd gush for the evening! Stay tuned for a possible John Williams one later, lol!
- - February 7, 2013 at 5:17 AM
  - Quote
  Thorn
  Member
  
  Yes, I appreciate great history films myself (even if I do mentally correct some of the inaccuracies as I watch 😆 ) As for film scores: I feel that at least half of a great movie is the score, and Horner and Williams are two of the best, indeed. While I appreciate Williams’ distinct “brassy” sound and penchant for more epic scores, I tend to favor James Horner’s work. He is oftentimes very raw with his tendency for a choir/orchestra mix and his scores create this emotional vibe that goes straight to the heart of the film! It’s like he’s sitting in his little studio with a keyboard and some sheet music writing down notes that will suck our attention into the movie while screaming “Feel, dammit, FEEL!!”
  
  And we, as the audience, are left with no choice to comply. Like this:
  
  ~~https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQsdUXQO7rhWKt7q4j6dtyvI8aCu0WSGEI2dgNQjERwG5vn9e5Z15dDBQ" />~~
- - February 7, 2013 at 5:58 PM
  - Quote
  Makoto_Mizuhara
  Member
  
  Which is probably why everyone cried like a little bitch at Jack Dawson dying… but come on- THERE WAS ENOUGH FREAKING ROOM ON THAT BOARD FOR HIS SORRY WHINY WISCONSINITE BUTT!!!
- - February 7, 2013 at 7:11 PM
  - Quote
  Thorn
  Member
  
  ^ As proven by Mythbusters. Rose was a board hogging bitch! 😆
- - February 7, 2013 at 7:26 PM
  - Quote
  Makoto_Mizuhara
  Member
  
  I concur… now I have to go see that.
- - February 8, 2013 at 4:25 PM
  - Quote
  Thorn
  Member
  
  Here you go!
  
  [BBvideo 425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ijMd4bwr0w[/BBvideo]
- - February 8, 2013 at 7:18 PM
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  mitsuki lover
  Member
  
  GLORY isn’t one of my favorite Civil War pics.I give it an overall rating of a B- .Then again I come from a
  
  family split down the middle.I have both Confederate Southern ancestors and Unionist Northern ancestors.
  
  And whilst the Unionist side of me approved,the Confederate side heartedly detested it. 😆
  
  I think Gods And Generals and it’s sequel Gettysburg were better.
  
  Though my overall favorite Civil War movie has to be the Audie Murphy version of The Red Badge of
  
  Courage.
- - February 8, 2013 at 8:09 PM
  - Quote
  Thorn
  Member
  
  ^ That’s funny, most of my family tree is southern and all of my relatives have very traditional southern values (minus the racism that people love to associate with the south) and I love Glory to bits! I do have to say that I prefer depictions of WWII over the Civil War though. I highly recommend The Pacific to anyone that hasn’t seen it.
- - February 9, 2013 at 12:04 AM
  - Quote
  Almael
  Member
  
  It’s been many years since I saw Glory. I like it a lot too.
  
  And once again it proofs that boots are universally important throughout all the ages.
  
  Only rivaled by toilet accessories and bags & cooking/eating accessories.
  
  For similar reasons the Pacific was good but depressing realities while Band of brothers was more about officer/soldier relationship & administrative matter.
- - February 9, 2013 at 6:54 PM
  - Quote
  chucklocker
  Participant
  
  ~~mitsuki lover wrote:~~
  
  Though my overall favorite Civil War movie has to be the Audie Murphy version of The Red Badge of
  
  Courage.
  
  ^THIS. I love this movie so much! I find it extra awesome that Audie Murphy himself was a decorated war hero. Oh man, If we’re opening up war movies for discussion now I will be thrilled! I just watched one of my favorites the other day, “The Bridge on the River Kwai.” Sir Alec Guinness is fantastic as the ever proper and obstinate British commander leading his captured troops in building a bridge for the Japanese. As for modern war movies, I suppose my favorite would have to be “Enemy at the Gates.” A stark, but entertaining depiction of the Battle of Stalingrad (AKA the REAL turning point of WWII), it’s one of the rarer movies in which I thoroughly enjoyed Jude Law’s performance.
- - February 9, 2013 at 9:18 PM
  - Quote
  Thorn
  Member
  
  I’m terrible at picking favorites, especially when there are so many great films in this genre. Bridge Over the River Kwai stands as one of my favorites as well, but I have to go with Saving Private Ryan in more recent films. I love any war drama that Tom Banks and Spielberg collaborate on!
  
  Also: I’ve actually been to Audie Murphy’s grave! Random, I know, but it was exciting when I looked down and realized I was standing at it.
- - February 10, 2013 at 3:35 AM
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  Makoto_Mizuhara
  Member
  
  I once passed by Ulysses S. Grant’s place. Didn’t feel a thing. O_o
- - February 13, 2013 at 8:00 PM
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  mitsuki lover
  Member
  
  I always associate Bridge Over The River Kwai with the Colonel Bogey March. 😆
  
  One of my favorite WWII movies is The Longest Day because of the All Star Cast.
- - February 14, 2013 at 6:11 AM
  - Quote
  Makoto_Mizuhara
  Member
  
  I personally liked the duo of WWII films Clint Eastwood did for Iwo Jima. Two sides fighting against each other, but feeling the very same pains for different reasons. DAMMIT, WHY DIDN’T KEN WATANABE GET BEST ACTOR FOR HIS WORK THERE!?!?!?!?
- - February 14, 2013 at 5:38 PM
  - Quote
  chucklocker
  Participant
  
  ~~mitsuki lover wrote:~~
  
  One of my favorite WWII movies is The Longest Day because of the All Star Cast.
  
  Or as I called it as a (stupid, unknowing, ignorant) child: The Longest Movie! 😆
  
  Or course, I have since come to LOVE that particular film for so many reason, not the least of which is the phenomenal cast. I also really appreciate the depiction of the starkness and suddenness of death. You never know who is going to buy the farm, and when they do you have little time to grieve. It really gives a good impression of what warfare was actually like. There are also so many memorable scenes from the movie, but the imagery of the entire invasion fleet appearing out of the fog is stunning (and the German officer’s reaction is priceless too! 😆 )
  
  [BBvideo 425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFzdleJarI0[/BBvideo]
- - February 15, 2013 at 3:40 AM
  - Quote
  Thorn
  Member
  
  ^ All those things are why I enjoy The Pacific, Saving Private Ryan. I also enjoy We Were Soldiers for the fact that, despite being a war film, much of its focus is on the wives left at home and what the war was like from their side.
- - February 16, 2013 at 10:41 PM
  - Quote
  mitsuki lover
  Member
  
  Time for some swashbuckling.Anyone else ever seen Errol Flynn in Robin Hood?
- - February 16, 2013 at 11:02 PM
  - Quote
  chucklocker
  Participant
  
  Did somebody say “Swashbuckling”?! bth_IhappyloveItplz_by_IloveItplz
  
  ~~http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KSWKJD5-yng/TfDMVqgH6OI/AAAAAAAACkE/5uTOgDfNAMc/s1600/princess+bride+4.jpg" />~~
  
  Another favorite genre of mine! I basically grew up watching The Princess Bride, so it makes sense, I suppose. I actually haven’t seen the Errol Flynn Robin Hood, but I have heard wonderful things about it. The prize of the genre for me, however, will always be the 1934 version of The Count of Monte Cristo!
- - February 17, 2013 at 1:44 AM
  - Quote
  Thorn
  Member
  
  Oh Yeah! Princess Bride and Zorro both have two of the best swashbuckling scenes ever! I favor the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, though (particularly the trilogy that came before Stranger Tides)
  
  Some of my favorite scenes:
  
  Jack vs. Will in the smithy:
  
  [BBvideo 425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO-LQqXd0fE[/BBvideo]
  
  The wheel fight from POTC 2:
  
  “By YOUR leave, Mr. Norrington!” 😆
  
  [BBvideo 425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfkqKJohuTI[/BBvideo]
  
  POTC 3 (Also my favorite of the series)
  
  The final sword fight between Jack and Davy Jones (Of which there seem to be no clips)
  
  and…
  
  Will and Elizabeth’s wedding:
  
  [BBvideo 425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfkIlvtybWg[/BBvideo]
- - February 17, 2013 at 10:01 AM
  - Quote
  Makoto_Mizuhara
  Member
  
  How about when the crew sees Sparrow for the first time in At World’s End?
  
  [BBvideo 425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Dj7xfoyECA[/BBvideo]
  
  Or hell- when the AUDIENCE sees him for the first time?
  
  (No clips… damn.)
- - February 22, 2013 at 7:52 PM
  - Quote
  mitsuki lover
  Member
  
  It’s interesting how they were able to make such a popular movie franchise out of ride at Disney Land.
- - February 23, 2013 at 1:16 AM
  - Quote
  Thorn
  Member
  
  Well, that says a lot about the quality of the ride and the people who designed it at Disney. Even before the movie, the ride told a great story. Also, swashbuckling is just a great branch of the action genre.
- - February 24, 2013 at 1:47 AM
  - Quote
  chucklocker
  Participant
  
  If you all don’t mind, I think I’ll change the direction a bit. I’m just right now watching one of my favorite films: The Shawshank Redemption. It’s a fantastic movie about psychological torture/inspiration in the face of hardship. It’s pretty much the pinnacle of the “prison movie” genre, but for me it opens up a whole new field of movies involving captivity as a theme. Especially compelling is the captivity to destiny, such as in Lawrence of Arabia or Gandhi. Both Lawrence and Gandhi were people who found themselves, sometimes against their will, captive to their own destinies for greatness, and both made for some of the best movies of all time!
- - February 25, 2013 at 7:27 PM
  - Quote
  mitsuki lover
  Member
  
  I saw the first part of the Shawshank Redemption but never saw the entire movie.
  
  Lawrence of Arabia and of course the great Peter O’Toole.One of the most outstanding performances of all time.
- - February 26, 2013 at 3:42 AM
  - Quote
  Thorn
  Member
  
  I’ve seen bits of Shawshank Redemption, but regrettably, I’ve yet to see the entire thing. I do enjoy The Green Mile, though. Coincidentally, it’s also an adaptation of a Stephen King novel and also an extremely profound movie. I also enjoy some of the older films like Escape From Alcatraz. As for as a theme, there are two films outside the prison genre that really speak to me. Amistad, for one, because it provides such a graphic image of what slaves endured just in their journey from Africa alone. Also, there’s Schindler’s List. Where both films obviously do depict literal captivity, I find Schindler’s moral dilemma to be a compelling story.
- - March 8, 2013 at 11:17 PM
  - Quote
  Thorn
  Member
  
  So, anyone for animated films (non anime)? My favorite has always been The Lion King, but I also love anything else from the Disney Renaissance era.
- - March 11, 2013 at 6:53 PM
  - Quote
  mitsuki lover
  Member
  
  I still need to see Disney’s true Masterpiece:Fantasia.
- - April 9, 2013 at 2:11 PM
  - Quote
  kazuki
  Participant
  
  Can’t wait for Iron Man 3.
- - April 9, 2013 at 8:14 PM
  - Quote
  chucklocker
  Participant
  
  ~~kazuki wrote:~~
  
  Can’t wait for Iron Man 3.
  
  Me neither! Ever since I heard that Shane Black was directing it I have been super stoked! His previous collaboration with Robert Downey Jr. produced one of my favorite movies of all time: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. If you guys haven’t seen that movie yet….. OMG just watch it. Seriously, cancel your appointments, clear your calendar for the next two hours and treat yourself to one of the funniest, wittiest, best casted movies you will ever see!
  
  Lol, anyway, back to Iron Man 3. I am most interested in seeing Sir Ben Kingsley’s performance as the baddie, The Mandarin, especially since I think Sir Ben is one of the finest actors alive today.
- - April 10, 2013 at 6:48 PM
  - Quote
  mitsuki lover
  Member
  
  The one new movie coming out that should be interesting is 42 which is a retelling of the Jackie Robinson story.There’s already the classic The Jackie Robinson Story starring the man himself,but it necessarily had some of the rougher edges of what he went through edited down or out.By contrast 42 seems to be
  
  recreating all of the racism,etc.that Robinson faced while trying to integrate baseball. I think if it ends up being as good as the previews look that it might become another classic baseball movie.
  
  Oh and disclaimer:the Dodgers are one of my all time four favorite MLB teams.(the others being
  
  the Mariners,Twins and Cubs)
- - April 12, 2013 at 1:57 AM
  - Quote
  Thorn
  Member
  
  I’m not much into baseball, but that one did catch my eye!
- - April 12, 2013 at 5:58 PM
  - Quote
  mitsuki lover
  Member
  
  One of the most significant sports stories of the whole 20th century.And Harrison Ford plays Branch Rickey!
- - April 29, 2013 at 1:12 AM
  - Quote
  chucklocker
  Participant
  
  I recently rewatched one of my favorite movies of all time (for about the gazillionth time): The African Queen! This movie is pretty much the definition of the word “Classic.” Seriously, this movie, and the story behind the making of it, is so good that Academy Award winning films have been made about it! I think all of this awesomeness can easily be explained by the sheer amount of talent that went into this film. Humphrey Bogart (the best actor of the age), Katherine Hepburn (the best actress of the age), and John Huston (the best director of the age) poured every ounce of their incredible talents into this film and it absolutely shows! I can’t think of a single film that has been made, before or since, that had this caliber of skill and talent behind it. Shot on location in the heart of Africa, the stories behind the filming of this movie range from hilarious to heart-poundingly intense as the crew had to deal with everything from the boat continually sinking to life-threatening bouts with malaria. All in all, The African Queen stands in my mind as the gold standard of mainstream Hollywood can accomplish with the right people at the helm.
- - April 29, 2013 at 3:55 PM
  - Quote
  Thorn
  Member
  
  As far as classics go, several movies come to mind, but I think my favorite is John Carpenter’s Halloween. Everything about that movie is an example of how the extra bit of ingenuity and effort that goes into making low-budget independent films can actually outshine the expensive blockbusters. Not to mention the huge impact it’s had on our pop culture. Pretty much everything about the horror genre since 1978 can be traced back to Halloween in some way and the basic concept of a normal kid going crazy is a very possible one and one I find creepy as hell to think about.
- - May 9, 2013 at 7:22 AM
  - Quote
  Thorn
  Member
  
  Something else I’m really enjoying right now is Kill Bill. There’s nothing about those two films that isn’t well thought out and just freakin’ amazing. Quentin does a great job of paying homage to, and blending several different genres of film.

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