Movies you've just watched

[CMoon]

If this were a serious film I could understand it, but this is freaking Mad Max! It's a goofball exploitation film in a long line of goofball exploitation films but suddenly amidst all the gratuitous carnage and clown masks and CGI sandstorms it suddenly becomes a serious issue film? "Hi kids! Master Blaster here. And I want to tell you about the evils of underground fighting..."

And yes, I take issue with the ridiculous double standard that hyperviolence is A-OK family entertainment but hypersexuality is a serious affront.

Not knowing that a feminist had been consulted, would these elements have bothered you in the film? Ultimately the women in Fury Road are utterly helpless and seemingly ignorant too (they're sex slaves after all.) They don't magically transform into powerful, liberated warriors by the end of the film. They are victims throughout, and I never felt like that took away from the film. I think it was also important to establish some reason for the story to begin with.

The only point I really thought about this issue was with the motorcycle women and their outcry when see Max; "A Man!" On the other hand, if they motorcycle women are all sex-slave survivors, I don't see any real problem with this either. I get the fact that Mad Max is ultimately a world of cartoon violence, but I don't think this issue was rubbed in our face. it was there if you wanted to think about it, but I'm really amazed people are picking up on it as a big deal.

[Mischief Maker]

Not knowing that a feminist had been consulted, would these elements have bothered you in the film?

It's not the film that bothers me, it's the hype surrounding it. I have heard many people repeating that press release snippet "Did you hear? He brought in the Vagina Monologues woman as a consultant! Truly this is going to be the progressive and empowering reboot of 'Hell comes to Frogtown' we've all been waiting for!"

I'm just saying the emperor has no clothes here.

[Squire Grooktook]

Who actually reads that stuff these days.

If I read the hype surrounding things (both good and bad) I think I'd have an aneurysm from the general stupidity, regardless of topic.

I mean, I like Touhou and all, but I don't want to read about it on 4chan. Or from a real game journalist. Or Hardcore Gaming 101. Or somebody who credit feeds shmups. I'd rather just play it myself and form my own opinions.

[Ixmucane2]

Like, for example, Wall-E a few years ago, Mad Max: Fury Road is a rare attempt to discuss today's issues from the point of view of tomorrow's culture (or rather, of what today's culture should be) instead of allowing an immense tradition of old ideas to drag down a work; backlash from conservative audiences is unavoidable.
In Wall-E, the important issue was ecological collapse, and the forward-thinking answer was centuries of hard work, with no optimism and no shortcuts, the more children are traumatized the better. In Mad Max: Fury Road, the issue is the classical one of what is the measure of a hero and how should people get along, and the forward-thinking answer firmly refuses to include traditional sexist elements such as entitlement to getting laid, "having" a romantic interest, and so on.

[blackoak]

I saw Fury Road over the weekend too. Overall I wasn't that impressed, but I will admit it wasn't an utter abomination like so many recent remakes/updates to old action franchises. In that sense I can see why people are excited about it.

Personally, I greatly prefer the downtempo "realism" of Road Warrior and the first Mad Max to this. Another movie that kept coming to mind while I was watching it was Friedkin's Sorcerer, a movie that proves realism and sobriety actually heighten tension/drama; the bombastic comic bookness of everything in Fury Road was some nice visual candy, I admit, but there was never any tension to any of it. Zero. Overall it just felt like yet another movie pandering to dumb boozed up youth, trying at every moment to elicit a cheap "badass!!" from the viewer.

Oh, and those flashbacks were wtf level horrible.

[Acid King]

I don't think the feminist hype would be an issue if Miller hired some Random Academic instead of Ensler, but I don't see why her involvement is bad. From the sound if it, Miller wrote the script and had Ensler advise the cast about how sex slavery fucks with your head. It's a goofball action movie that's also a $150 million production and the money spent on her advice is a pittance comparatively. If Miller thinks her advice is going to help the actors performances, I don't see what the issue is.

[Volteccer_Jack]

Like, for example, Wall-E a few years ago, Mad Max: Fury Road is a rare attempt to discuss today's issues from the point of view of tomorrow's culture (or rather, of what today's culture should be) instead of allowing an immense tradition of old ideas to drag down a work; backlash from conservative audiences is unavoidable.
In Wall-E, the important issue was ecological collapse, and the forward-thinking answer was centuries of hard work, with no optimism and no shortcuts, the more children are traumatized the better. In Mad Max: Fury Road, the issue is the classical one of what is the measure of a hero and how should people get along, and the forward-thinking answer firmly refuses to include traditional sexist elements such as entitlement to getting laid, "having" a romantic interest, and so on.

Are you going for the Most Pretentious and Condescending Post award? Wall-E is a cartoon about a cute little broken robot saving the world from an idiot. Mad Max is an action movie about generic edgy loner heroes kicking the asses of guys who are jerks. It was every bit as sexist and dumb as any other dumb explosion flick, I have no idea what you're even on about.

Christ. Die Hard is a study of the meaning of life explored through McClane's bare feet. "Now I have a machine gun ho ho ho" is a deep reflection on the futility of human struggle and our ability to maintain joy even in the face of it.

[Squire Grooktook]

Christ. Die Hard is a study of the meaning of life explored through McClane's bare feet. "Now I have a machine gun ho ho ho" is a deep reflection on the futility of human struggle and our ability to maintain joy even in the face of it.

It wasn't that pretentious. Wall-E is a cutesie adventure romp at heart (and being creatively cutesie is where it shines most), but you'd have to be blind not to see the very obvious and not so subtle environmental message it pounds in.

Can't speak for Fury Road, but that does sound like a bit more of a stretch, however. Than again, if there's one thing I've learned, is that if you notice anything jumping out at you in a work, chances are the creators thought of it. Even if it's not a big deal. Not having a love interest was probably intentional, I'd guess.

[Mischief Maker]

I don't think the feminist hype would be an issue if Miller hired some Random Academic instead of Ensler, but I don't see why her involvement is bad.

Maybe it's me.

I'm not saying it's bad that Miller hired Ensler, I'm saying it was a hype move in the first place.

Is it that hard for a trained actress to look scared by the prospect of sex slavery? Were they hanging out at craft services and saying, "well I don't think it would be that bad, at least you have job security," requiring a consultant to be brought in to set them straight?

Most likely someone in an early focus group said they thought the whole sex slavery angle was anti-feminist, and the PR team went into a frenzy. They brought in Ensler and told Miller to make a big deal in interviews about how he hired her. It's like BP painting their gas stations green and sponsoring Earth Day to draw attention away from that time they destroyed the Gulf of Mexico.

Yet despite being such a blatantly transparent corporate PR move, it worked and suddenly people all over the place are waxing philosophical about how an ultraviolent exploitation movie sequel is empowering to women.

[drauch]

I saw Fury Road over the weekend too. Overall I wasn't that impressed, but I will admit it wasn't an utter abomination like so many recent remakes/updates to old action franchises. In that sense I can see why people are excited about it.

Personally, I greatly prefer the downtempo "realism" of Road Warrior and the first Mad Max to this. Another movie that kept coming to mind while I was watching it was Friedkin's Sorcerer, a movie that proves realism and sobriety actually heighten tension/drama; the bombastic comic bookness of everything in Fury Road was some nice visual candy, I admit, but there was never any tension to any of it. Zero. Overall it just felt like yet another movie pandering to dumb boozed up youth, trying at every moment to elicit a cheap "badass!!" from the viewer.

Oh, and those flashbacks were wtf level horrible.

It's certainly hard to top the first two films and Sorcerer, if not impossible. I have the same problems you do with Fury Road, but I'm glad at least that Miller went out and said he basically wanted to change the universe around, as if to acknowledge this is more of a pulpy action film where anything goes. 3D shit in your face aside, I think the film does a pretty good job at not being "epic" and "badass" for idiots for the most part. There's no insane levels of slowdown or dodging things and comboing villains, etc. that plague modern "action" films. You do miss a lot of the raw danger of The Road Warrior, but as an action film revamp of sorts in a time where the action film is practically dead, I'd consider it quite welcome if you love seeing people die creatively and things exploding without all the filler and bathos and airbrushed abs crammed down your throat.

[Spanky]

Ended up seeing Pitch Perfect 2... i got laid after the movie. !

Seriously, watched Sinister last week. Holy crap was that we'll made or what.

Gonna see mad max tmw.

[blackoak]

3D shit in your face aside, I think the film does a pretty good job at not being "epic" and "badass" for idiots for the most part. There's no insane levels of slowdown or dodging things and comboing villains, etc. that plague modern "action" films.

Yeah, I'd have to agree with that mostly. I don't really have a lot of vitriol to spit at Fury Road overall, I enjoyed the pulpiness for what it was. I would probably prefer this levity over a grimdark bluelightfilter Mad Max, too.

In other news, I continue to love Streets of Fire, haha. And it's like Jim Steinman found the perfect melody for the words "tonight is what it means to be young."

[CHI]

London - Newark
The Gambler 2014
Interstellar 2014

Newark - London
Jupiter Ascending 2015
Godzilla 2014

[drauch]

In other news, I continue to love Streets of Fire, haha."

Hard to beat! I'd give all the money I have if they would have continued and made it a trilogy like originally planned. Wish I didn't even know about it! Makes me too goddamn sad.

[CMoon]

3D shit in your face aside, I think the film does a pretty good job at not being "epic" and "badass" for idiots for the most part. There's no insane levels of slowdown or dodging things and comboing villains, etc. that plague modern "action" films.

Yeah, I'd have to agree with that mostly. I don't really have a lot of vitriol to spit at Fury Road overall, I enjoyed the pulpiness for what it was. I would probably prefer this levity over a grimdark bluelightfilter Mad Max, too.

I think the film has room for critiquing and analyzing, and maybe my standards have been lowered by the state of hollywood over the last 15 years or so, but I feel this is the best two hours I've spent in a theatre for a long time. Most criticisms I have are closer to observations: 'well they didn't do this thing that they did in the road warrior...' But ultimately this isn't Road Warrior, it is a different film and one I really like.

Interesting bringing up Sorcerer/Wages of Fear since those films actually crossed my mind during the blue/wet area of the film. Wrote it up to the fact that I love those films and there was no actual allusion made to them.

Maybe the hype is killing it for people. I heard the hype; got hyped, but still went in with the expectations of disappointment. Left completely pumped. Maybe it isn't the film everyone wants, and it certainly isn't perfect, but I already want to see it again and that must say something.

[Skykid]

I haven't seen it, but I don't understand why folks were put off by the trailer. I saw the words George Miller and that was enough to put my expectations through the roof (that coupled with the rest of the trailer being amaze).

I agree the modern producer system is dramatically adept at ruining even qualified directors, but I'm holding out hope that this will be awesome. Can't wait.

Gonna get me to the biggest of the city's 5 IMAX theaters when it opens and get hype (yes, these mofos have 5 IMAX theatres. Crazy).

[null1024]

I just saw Mad Max Fury Road. An incredibly solid 4/5 film.
please go to the theater to watch this movie, don't grab a CAM rip of it, it doesn't deserve that

Was fun as fuck. Had very little tension and there were a couple of really dumb things throughout, but it delivers overall. There's some really fantastic visuals in the film.
It's maybe a bit too silly, which will definitely put some people off a bit. But goddamnit, it was fun.
Everything is done all at full speed [EDIT: apparently that's a lie -- loads of scenes are slowed down slightly, but the way it's cut keeps it looking snappy], except for one blatantly obvious 3D slo-mo shot that will make you want to get up and leave, if just for the seconds it's on the screen [it's really ugly, a badly animated CG steering wheel coming out of the screen -- you can see it changing direction while rotating for no reason]. Very quick, intense, "blink and you'll miss it" action, vastly different from current Hollywood fare. The designs were cool as fuck, the soundtrack was pretty good. There's extremely little dialogue in the movie, what's there isn't bad. Characters were interesting.
Max seemed a bit off though, and his flashbacks really didn't help the movie at all.

There were also a couple of really weird scene cuts that bugged the fuck out of me, like the shot with the crow people which suddenly cut away to daytime before you realized what you were looking at -- probably intentional, but it was jarring and there were a couple others like that where it didn't seem like the jarring effect was deliberate.

Still, I say it deserves most of the praise it's getting.
It can be summed up as "Mad Max vs every 80s metal album cover ever," and succeeds beautifully at that goal.

[Drum]

Mad Max: Fury Road - equal parts Cirque du Soleil and Rob Zombie. Not nearly as impressed as the rest of the internet, though it wasn't as bad as I just made it sound. Go see Avengers 2, it's better.

[CMoon]

Mad Max: Fury Road [...] Go see Avengers 2, it's better.

Oh shit!

[MR_Soren]

I saw Avengers AoU on May 3rd. It was a let-down after seeing Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014. Not only that, but I felt like it had a lot of flaws. Action often seemed too fast for the camera, creating a very choppy look. Seemed like point A and point B were too far apart to fit it all into one movie. A lot of plot elements felt rushed or poorly explained as a result.

There wasn't enough background provided for a lot of things that happened and I had to just kind of suspend disbelief, accept it, and move on. Example:

Spoiler

After capturing the body Ultron intended to use, they are able to recover Jarvis who was assumed destroyed with one sentence of nonsense to explain, merge jarvis with the mind stone, and power the body using energy from Thor's hammer because he had some poorly explained vision that caused him to trust Stark and Banner's experiment this time around, and it created a new character.

Usually, superhero movies establish what is and isn't possible, so even the fantastic elements feel grounded in the fictional world. This just seemed like nonsense. The characters often had to voice their motivations aloud because the film did a poor job of making me believe.


I saw Mad Max on May 20th. Absolutely loved it. It's pretty much a 2-hour car chase with a few moments to cool down, but it's way better than that makes it sound. I couldn't sleep for hours after watching it; I was hyped up and wired. Dialogue was sparse, but the movie did a fantastic job of visual storytelling. Scenes that lasted for only a few seconds told you plenty about the world, the characters, and the living conditions. The vehicle and character designs were ridiculously over-the-top, extremely detailed, and simply awesome. Once you accept and become immersed in the movie's setting, which should take less than 10 minutes, it is always clear what is happening, why it is happening, and no further suspension of disbelief is required. The action never looks choppy, the stunts are phenomenal, and everything is beautiful.

I've noticed a lot of attention-seeking troublemakers are trying to condemn the movie for either treating women too poorly or for making women too strong. Can't please either camp. Ignore all those fucks. They're always going to find reasons to complain because that is their job; making noise to get clicks. It's a great action film with positive messages and likeable characters fighting against real-world problems against an wonderfully exaggerated backdrop.

[Skykid]

Avengers 2: AoU

Mad Max: Fury Road [...] Go see Avengers 2, it's better.

When I first read this, I was genuinely a little worried. Not because I thought Avengers 1 was bad - I actually thought it was surprisingly good fun - but only because I had such high hopes for Mad Max.

Saw Avengers 2. Real fun flick, dense and cleverly put together. Much better than the first.

So my fears are put to rest, because AoU is basically the complete opposite of Drum's comments, so hope for Fury Road being awesome are realigned.

Avengers 2 is sadly quite a lot poorer than its predecessor. Echoing the general sentiment so far, the plot is altogether worthless and most of the movie is spent piffling around trying to fill space between CG cartoon sequences.

On the upside, the humour is appreciated: comic books were always about the wisecracks between the smacks, and Whedon's dialogue is solid enough in that respect. Ultron was well done by James Spader and some of the exchanges had some weight and poignancy.

The end battle is the best of all, and a good wrap up, but really the only time I felt genuinely engaged. A lot of the globe hopping is pointless and makes no sense, and sometimes I found myself thinking "oh yeah, we're in Korea now, I forgot" because my brain kept losing the thread due to being drowned out by too much banality in plot construction and cramming that made threads occur way too fast. Most of it may as well be in fast forward tbh.

There's so much unnecessary stuff, it just makes the whole less interesting. The dream sequences were pointless, ultimately, if you discount the setup for Thor's threequel, as was all that airy stuff about a super gem (yet another super gem).

Banner and Johannsen's romance thing felt weird, and Hawkeye's visit home was total movie downtime - worth nothing at all. The bad guy's motivation was totally nonexistent, and Paul Bettany as some kind of AI god was hilariously shit, because Paul Bettany.

Worst thing really was the "just accept this sudden turn of events" which is basically everything in the movie. Oh now they're good guys? Oh Jarvis is back? Oh Thor's hammer created a super being? What the fuck is happening already?

I suppose I wouldn't say it was a bad movie. It was ok, Whedon's certainly got a handle on many subtleties, but this is really a case of trying to make a better film out of a poor screenplay, as Hollywood usual.

Both recent X-Men movies were superior, and Avengers 1 is way better.

Don't be swayed by positive opinion if you were thinking of holding out for Netflix. You could save yourself a little cash not seeing this in theatres.

Bring on Fury Road!

[Drum]

I'm sorry the subtle beauty of Avengers 2: Age of Ultron is beyond your meagre ability to grasp.

[Skykid]

I'm sorry the subtle beauty of Avengers 2: Age of Ultron is beyond your meagre ability to grasp.

lol

[JBC]

American Sniper

It was entertaining, but has a suspicious propaganda quality to it despite being pretty brutal & realistic. Definitely not a feel-good movie or anything I would want to watch over & over.

Bradley Cooper does an amazing job of portraying a 'good ole' boy', & I don't mean that negatively. Living where I do, I know hundreds of guys exactly like his character.

It's a real downer though, especially since it's based on actual events. Now I need some Mad Max to cleanse the palette.

[Squire Grooktook]

Funny thing about American Sniper, is IIRC Clint Eastwood was actually against the Iraq War, despite being fiscally conservative.

I didn't think there was anything propaganda about the movie, really. The closest arguments I've seen is that "the iraq insurgents are all out to get the american soldiers, some of them are really cruel, and no one can be trusted"...which is pretty much how gorilla warfare works. It didn't really delve into the reasons for the war or whether it was justified or not, either. The closest you get is Chris stating one sentence for why he thinks the war is justified "we're fighting them here so we don't have to fight them in San Diego or New York", but nothing in the film justifies or validates this belief. You could probably insert the script and characterization into just about any other war and it would've been about the same.

I thought it was a good character study of a guy who goes into a war wanting to be a "cowboy" and ends up all sorts of mentally scarred by the end. Reminded me a lot of other war novels I've read in the past, thematically.

[JBC]

Yeah, I didn't find it offensive in any kind of way. It was a good movie, but too serious for my blood. I only say it was propaganda-ish-y because the the protagonist's attitude is exactly the kind of mentality these guys feed off of. Powerfully so.

'Do what it takes and don't ask questions. For God & Country!'

I can compare it to Requiem For A Dream in that drug users will watch it with awe, nearly oblivious to its message.

"Yeah! Flashy lights & electronic music!"

Or criminals who love Scarface, never mind how Tony ends up.

[Some-Mist]

late to the party but saw mad max and absolutely loved it. I'm not typically one for going to see big action/blockbuster films in theater, but this one was worth it.

watched whiplash. I don't normally get angry about movies, but for some reason the ending on this one irked me. the rest of the movie was fantastic tho.

have foxcatcher, boyhood, and happiness (1998) on deck - one of the 3 will be watched after game of thrones tonight :>

[Mischief Maker]

You are required by law to enjoy Boyhood because it took 12 years to make.

[Some-Mist]

lol, that's the majority opinion isn't it?
I've never been interested in watching it but I recently listened to a terry gross fresh air podcast ep with ethan hawke and patricia arquette and kinda got me hyped.

[Skykid]

You are required by law to enjoy Boyhood because it took 12 years to make.

Is it really that bad? I heard RLM rag on it for it's indie appeal to critics etc, but... Linklater is actually a damn fine director. The Before Sunrise, Sunset, Midnight trilogy is excellent.