Film and Episodic Content Discussion Thread

Will watch. I find your approach very fresh.

 

Appreciate it.

 

Before Boogie Nights, before Magnolia, before all the cinematic works of art Paul Thomas Anderson gifted film fans, he made a little movie called Hard Eight. And it would start a trend of complex male characters that would come to define his work.

 

I haven't had a minute to view this video--but thank you in advance for choosing this wonderful film to analyze. I saw this in theaters the week it came out & was blown away. There's no way a director's first film (one he wrote, no less) could be so assured and compelling.

This is a pitch-perfect indie, a small film about a specific place and very particular people. At the time I'd never heard of Philip Baker Hall, and barely heard of John C. Reilly, both of whom give striking performances (especially the former).

These are beautifully written characters that live on in memory. This film has so much to say about manhood, adulthood, parenting, and following or not following the rules. I was dazzled then, and now I'm scheming to see this one again...

 

If you haven't watched Soul on Disney+ yet, please do.

Music + Mysticism in a Disney movie? Yes, please. Fantastic stuff...

 

In the first Under the Hood episode with Stuckman, I talked about how the theaters and studios did it to themselves. With crappy exhibition standards on the theater side, and crappy forgettable movies on the studio side. Not to mention the insane hikes in ticket prices. Of course people are going to stay home most of the time when their living room is more comfortable than a large room full of assholes with something you can't pause. Convenience always wins out in the end. Movie theaters will likely become more like theatre (the Shakespearean kind) and concerts. Specialty events people become more selective about. I still think cinema is best represented on larger screens, but the case can be made that it makes no difference to the average viewer.

 

I can attest to what you’re saying about cinema becoming a specialty event like the theater (and I agree with your diagnoses of the problem). Lots of my friends have quit going to the cinema. I probably would have stopped myself were it not for having an Alamo Drafthouse here. It almost single-handedly saved me from the stinky, sticky-floored horrors of AMC and other, lesser movie theater chains. The Alamo Drafthouse has never been less than a great experience irrespective of the film being screened: it might be pricey but I’d rather go to the movies four times less often and get ten times the pleasure when doing so, especially given the fewer releases that appeal these days. If our one here shuts down, it’ll be a big loss.

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What does everyone think about the state of tv productions these days? I’d found myself missing movies less when there were a good many decent long-form narratives on the tube. But I’ve not come across anything recently that appeals much. Are we beyond the “golden age” of “prestige” television now?

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@ColtMrFire, I’ve been meaning to thank you for your excellent videos. I’m a bit behind on watching them, and I’ve skipped those ones about movies I’ve not yet seen, but I’m grateful to you for inspiring me to watch films I’ve missed and, more importantly, I'm grateful for your really insightful, persuasive, and thought-provoking observations. (Your editing skills are also awesome, btw). You’re doing a lot to keep me interested in films. Thank you.

 

I second the props for the excellent videos courtesy of @ColtMrFire. I learn new things every time--in particular, perspectives regarding "what's under the hood" of each film, stylistically & creatively.

Re the future of cinema, I'm so conflicted. Everything said in previous posts about the self-destructive behavior of film exhibitors is painfully true. In years of loving movies & being in theaters, I've witnessed a steady decline in every aspect of the film experience. 10 years ago I finally abandoned large screen operations in my area (AMC & Regal) in favor of small, independent exhibitors. But these operations are the least able to withstand the seismic financial pressure of the pandemic lockdown. I don't kid myself that those smaller theaters will still be here at this time in 2021.

Re TV: I'm very lucky to have a large TV room, easily permitting a 77" OLED which I view from about 10 ft away in controlled light. That equates to an angle of view of 30%-35%. It's by far the best TV experience of my life--particularly 4K content--and I make full use of it via Netflix & Prime Video. Still, this doesn't approach the the experience of seeing a film in a theater.

Assuming I can sit where I prefer in the theater (3-5 rows from the screen); and assuming reasonably functional/adjusted display systems--it's a vastly more immersive experience due to the far greater angle of view (45% to 60%), image height and near darkness. I don't even attempt to equal those things in my home TV room--it would cost way too much & potentially render the space unusable for anything but TV.

To not see any films in theaters for ~10 months, as in 2020--that never happened to me before. No matter how good TV is, it's painful to do without cinema...

I feel towards the film industry (professionals on both sides of the camera) the same as I do for live theater, restaurants, many other shuttered business: my fingers are crossed that many or most somehow survive this & thrive again.

 

This still might be one of the best pieces of entertainment of the previous decennium. About 30 minutes of uncompromised fun. Even Marvel did not execute it this well.

 

Just watched this video. Prepared by watching the first 1/3 or so of HARD EIGHT last night (and it's all coming back to me). You really nail the unresolvable moral complexity of this plot, all of which swirls around Sydney's character. Based on the film itself, the samurai metaphor is apt.

Perhaps that's why Sydney reminds me a little of the mysterious chef ("Master") of Netflix' TOKYO DINER--a facially scarred, physically powerful man who looks able to dominate anyone who crosses his path--but who consistently & humbly serves tasty meals to all who walk in. His patient wisdom hints at hard-won maturity and a past for which he must atone. He is less morally ambiguous than Sydney, thus distinctly more likable.

 

Just watched Netflix’s Peppermint. All these years Jennifer Garner has stayed away from action movies after Alias and this is how she makes her return? A Jason Stathom B movie? Such a frickin shame. She has such a great action presence on screen she could really do something great in the action or sci fi genres. But this script even made her kinda hokey at times. She still managed to be fairly badass she had her moments but I wish she had waited for something good. Even something along the lines of Salt. Hell she could be an interesting Tom Cruise replacement for future Mission Impossible movies. She could hold a roll like that is my point. And it would be cool to shake up the gender roles. I think she plays this role better than most any other woman on the screen.

I guess it’s back to shitty movies for 13 year old girls now.

Bleh

 

yeah lol she was even before I went under ground. Mom-edy. I haven’t heard that one before. But wtf she could put Naomi Replace and Anjelina Jolie to shame if she tried.

I figured she never did because she was burnt out on it from 7 years or whatever of dumbass Rombaldi devices. But she came back with a giant shit.

 

Oh no. I haven’t seen the new Star Wars movies yet. I better cover my eyes now. Agreed about Lost and Star Trek though.

 

Which Robert Altman films did you walk out on?

 

I can recommend 4 antidotes for the dismal experience of seeing PEPPERMINT. The more of these you watch, the less PEPPERMINT will befoul your memory:

1. Watch ATOMIC BLONDE w/Charlize Theron (I bought the 4K DVD)
2. Watch HAYWIRE w/Gina Carano on Netflix
3. Watch CLOSE w/Naomi Rapace on Netflix
4. Watch THE OLD GUARD with Charlize Theron on Netflix

Speaking of movies for 13 year old girls, watch HANNA w/Saoirse Ronan.

FWIW, I actually like Jennifer Garner in other material. But IMO she's not a natural fit for grim, high-bodycount action films.

 

I've been getting a bunch of Star Wars Clone Wars and Rebels in my youtube recommendation list after shuffling through a couple videos. Is this is a good couple series to binge? (I haven't seen Mandalorian season 2 yet if it makes a difference, though I've seen ep7-9)