Movies you've just watched

[Ji-L87]

A friend just sat me down to watch Shawshank Redemption, not the sort of thing I tend to pick up for myself when shopping movies.

Damn.
I wasn't prepared for it to be so good.

Geez.

[Immryr]

it's turgid middlebrow crap imo.

[Skykid]

it's boring middlebrow crap imo.

You're out of your mind, it's terrific.

[Ji-L87]

it's boring middlebrow crap imo.

You're out of your mind, it's terrific.

Haha. I just think it's so builds up so well to a great pay-off. Actually really liked the camera work too for some reason, I'm not too great at picking apart movies so I don't know why I liked the camerawork, just that I happened to. It's very atmospheric.

[Skykid]

it's boring middlebrow crap imo.

You're out of your mind, it's terrific.

Haha. I just think it's so builds up so well to a great pay-off. Actually really liked the camera work too for some reason, I'm not too great at picking apart movies so I don't know why I liked the camerawork, just that I happened to. It's very atmospheric.

Although I think the novella it's adapted from is great, Shawshank is one of the rare instances where the source material is outdone - a real rarity in literature to movie adaptations.

Darabont handled and paced it perfectly, and both Robbins and Freeman are outstanding, with the supporting cast not far behind.

It's probably the best prison movie of all time.

[S_Fang]

Christ, why not just make a docu-drama or something of Alexey Pajitnov?
Speaking of which: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhwNTo_Yr3k

Because those kind of stories are boring, unless its about a famous person from sports or politics or made by famous authors such as Michael Moore.

Anyway, I watched in these months Pee-Wee's Big Holiday with my parents and it was a dumb, yet watchable comedy movie about this Pee-Wee trying to reach his love mate Manganiello.
I never watched a single thing about Paul Rubens (just heard of it through Family Guy and James Rolfe), but I suppose it was freasher in his earlier days.

I also watched Lego: The Movie this week, a fine animated movie (loved the stop motion) aimed at kids, with plot and humor for kids.
Regarding the whole twist in the last minutes,

Spoiler

the whole world was a diorama made by a order-obsessed dad and his son was rebelling against it

could have been executed much better if it was subtle or as an ending like the MIB movies, if it was my choice.

[Squire Grooktook]

it's turgid middlebrow crap imo.

Is this guy for real?

You're out of your mind, it's terrific.

^^^

[Immryr]

Yeah I'm serious. It's rubbish. Inoffensive at best. If I'm feeling harsh I would say I use thinking this film is amazing as a litmus tests of people's taste :p

[Mischief Maker]

Yeah I'm serious. It's rubbish. Inoffensive at best.

Fair enough. Check out Animal Factory instead.

[wgogh]

Although I think the novella it's adapted from is great, Shawshank is one of the rare instances where the source material is outdone - a real rarity in literature to movie adaptations.

Darabont handled and paced it perfectly, and both Robbins and Freeman are outstanding, with the supporting cast not far behind.

It's probably the best prison movie of all time.

The only other example I can think of the book being outdone is 2001: Space Odyssey
Also, the first thing I read in your post was "best prison movie", and I knew it had to be The Shawshank Redemption

[emphatic]

The only other example I can think of the book being outdone is 2001: Space Odyssey

Fight Club.

[Mischief Maker]

Book being outdone by the movie? Lots!

Jurassic Park
The Shining
Blade Runner (kinda doesn't count, it's a totally different theme)
The Dead Zone (Christopher Walken version)
The Neverending Story
Dexter
Jaws
Clockwork Orange
Starship Troopers (Watch it again, it's a satire)

[Lyv]

Book being outdone by the movie? Lots!

Agreed for Clockwork Orange.
Add Battle Royale to the lot.

[wgogh]

The only other example I can think of the book being outdone is 2001: Space Odyssey

Fight Club.

I can't confirm that, but I'm not a fan of Chuck Palahniuk. He sounds like a outraged teenage to me.
Thinking about it, maybe we should have a off-topic literature thread.

[Squire Grooktook]

The Neverending Story

Hmmmm

Been a while since I read or watched either, but I'm not sure about this.

Hell, quality aside, it might even be another case of the book and the movie being too different to compare.

[Acid King]

I can't confirm that, but I'm not a fan of Chuck Palahniuk. He sounds like a outraged teenage to me.
Thinking about it, maybe we should have a off-topic literature thread.

We have a currently reading thread here.

[atheistgod1999]

I can't confirm that, but I'm not a fan of Chuck Palahniuk. He sounds like a outraged teenage to me.
Thinking about it, maybe we should have a off-topic literature thread.

We have a currently reading thread here.

Should've searched for that before making my own thread *facepalm*

[Mortificator]

The writing in The Shawshank Redemption film is definitely on a lower level than the novella it's adapted from. Decades of asshole guards and corrupt administrators are mashed together into to one ridiculously over-the-top example of each. I guess that was necessary so the movie could give them a Hollywood-style punishment at the end. And it inserts painful tell-don't-show lines to make sure the dumbest viewers understand what's going on. ("I guess I just miss my friend." No shit?)

Book being outdone by the movie? Lots!

Jurassic Park
The Shining
Blade Runner (kinda doesn't count, it's a totally different theme)
The Dead Zone (Christopher Walken version)
The Neverending Story
Dexter
Jaws
Clockwork Orange
Starship Troopers (Watch it again, it's a satire)

I agree with you on Jaws, A Clockwork Orange, and The Neverending Story. Jurassic Park is iffier. Dexter isn't a movie.

I'll solidly disagree concerning The Shining and especially Starship Troopers. Knowingly-goofy Verhoeven can't compare with peak Heinlein.

[wgogh]

The Neverending Story

Hell, quality aside, it might even be another case of the book and the movie being too different to compare.

You could almost just say that to everything and would be a fair statement.
After all, you need to forget the source for a minute to appreciate the adaptation and vice versa

[GaijinPunch]

The only other example I can think of the book being outdone is 2001: Space Odyssey

Blad Runner

[Skykid]

I concur with the following, these being the only ones I've read:

Jurassic Park
Jaws
Fight Club

...being outdone by their filmed counterparts. 2001 is my favourite movie, so I should readily accept it as better than the novel - and in many ways it is - but the issue is that I find the two are individual entities that aren't really comparable. The novel is brilliant, but was only used as an outline for Kubrick's artistic space vs philosophy opera.

I've never read DADOES, but I always assumed Blade Runner was superior.

Yeah I'm serious. It's rubbish. Inoffensive at best. If I'm feeling harsh I would say I use thinking this film is amazing as a litmus tests of people's taste :p

This is another case where people take an adverse view of a highly successful, widely loved movie precisely because it's that. There's a subconscious trigger that tells people that huge commercial entities are automatically lesser because of it. I see this happen with tons of movies that were once box office dynamite, where people say "oh god Titanic, that movie was rubbish!" even though when it came out they watched it three times.

Shawshank on the other hand was a fairly low key release. I remember my dad drove us to watch it on a whim, late at night. He asked me what's on at the movies and I read out the synopses of several movies, and we agreed Shawshank was the only one that sounded worth a look. Unfortunately it was only playing in one theatre right at the edge of Barnet, kind of on the outskirts, and we had to go a long way to get there.

It was only after, despite critical praise, that Shawshank became popular on DVD and with critics and in top movie polls by the public. On general release nobody gave a fuck. It was a small movie and didn't tout any megastars.

Many of the elements in it, particularly the soundtrack, have since been copied to the point where they're almost prison movie/TV tropes. I've seen a lot of productions that borrow the soundtrack for similar themes, or the era (Darabont's own Green Mile guilty as charged) - but Shawshank did them all first.

Ultimately it is a litmus test for people's tastes, as you said, to be able to look past its status and identify what the film does well in terms of script, performance, pace, plotting, direction etc. And if you still think it's "rubbish", then your taste is in the gutter, frankly. It's a wonderful little film.

[BrianC]

I liked Captain America Civil War better than the comic it's based on. The comic verison is flawed. The ending is rushed and the portrayal of some characters (especially Mr. Fantastic) is off. The movie isn't perfect, but I found it to be much more fun and enjoyable.

[Skykid]

^
I haven't read the comic but the movie was mostly total shit. I was so bored I started fingering the girl next to me.

[wgogh]

2001 is my favourite movie, so I should readily accept it as better than the novel - and in many ways it is - but the issue is that I find the two are individual entities that aren't really comparable. The novel is brilliant, but was only used as an outline for Kubrick's artistic space vs philosophy opera.

Also, the movie is not an adaptation, was created by both Kubrick and Arthur C Clarke, with Clarke writing the book in betweens.
The funny part is that Clarke pointed out that some people complained about the novel explaining too much and destroying the subjective and mystery of the film, while others bragged about the movie for being unexplained.
Childhood's End and Rendezvous With Rama are awesome novels by ACC, and better than the 2001 novel (idk about the sequels 2010 and 3001)

[Mischief Maker]

2001 is my favourite movie, so I should readily accept it as better than the novel - and in many ways it is - but the issue is that I find the two are individual entities that aren't really comparable. The novel is brilliant, but was only used as an outline for Kubrick's artistic space vs philosophy opera.

Also, the movie is not an adaptation, was created by both Kubrick and Arthur C Clarke, with Clarke writing the book in betweens.
The funny part is that Clarke pointed out that some people complained about the novel explaining too much and destroying the subjective and mystery of the film, while others bragged about the movie for being unexplained.
Childhood's End and Rendezvous With Rama are awesome novels by ACC, and better than the 2001 novel (idk about the sequels 2010 and 3001)

Another PSA: STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA'S SEQUELS! I think some time in the 80s Clark lost faith in humanity or something because the actions of the characters and governments of humanity in those books are stupid beyond reason. The original stands with Dune as my top two sci-fi novels of all time.

[Squire Grooktook]

The Neverending Story

Hell, quality aside, it might even be another case of the book and the movie being too different to compare.

You could almost just say that to everything and would be a fair statement.

Yeah but not only is the part of the book that corresponds to the movie quite different (no "nothing"), but at the halfway mark (where the movie straight up ends) the book becomes a completely different adventure.

[GaijinPunch]

Childhood's End and Rendezvous With Rama are awesome novels by ACC, and better than the 2001 novel (idk about the sequels 2010 and 3001)

I just read Childhood's End a few months ago. Damn that shit was dope... so old, too!

Another PSA: STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA'S SEQUELS! I think some time in the 80s Clark lost faith in humanity or something because the actions of the characters and governments of humanity in those books are stupid beyond reason. The original stands with Dune as my top two sci-fi novels of all time.

I read 3 of them in college. Don't remember enough to comment now, but I recall the sequels feeling "tacked on". Dune I read in HIgh school but on a trip with jet lag so didn't give it the attention it deserved. Should re-read it. Been going through some old school (60's) Japanese scifi which delivers and oddly haven't been translated into English... for shame.

[Skykid]

2001 is my favourite movie, so I should readily accept it as better than the novel - and in many ways it is - but the issue is that I find the two are individual entities that aren't really comparable. The novel is brilliant, but was only used as an outline for Kubrick's artistic space vs philosophy opera.

Also, the movie is not an adaptation, was created by both Kubrick and Arthur C Clarke, with Clarke writing the book in betweens.
The funny part is that Clarke pointed out that some people complained about the novel explaining too much and destroying the subjective and mystery of the film, while others bragged about the movie for being unexplained.
Childhood's End and Rendezvous With Rama are awesome novels by ACC, and better than the 2001 novel (idk about the sequels 2010 and 3001)

I know 2001 was written concurrently to the movie production. I enjoyed 2010, 2061, and 3001. The order of awesome is definitely descending, but they're still good reads.

For those who haven't sampled, A Fall of Moondust is essential.

[wgogh]

Unfortunately, Fall of Moondust is very hard to find. I dont think was even released in my country.
I found a place selling a old print of Fountains of Paradise (Fontes do Paraíso here), and I really hope theres more of Clarke as good as the titles Ive already read.

[Sinful]

I liked Captain America Civil War better than the comic it's based on. The comic verison is flawed. The ending is rushed and the portrayal of some characters (especially Mr. Fantastic) is off. The movie isn't perfect, but I found it to be much more fun and enjoyable.

I didn't like it. And in this case, not because my geeky comic book standards are too high.

All these Marvel movies cramming too many heroes nonsense also has to stop because movies already have too much trouble cramming everything in as is. ... Oh, and origin stories, enough with the origin stories already. Never liked them, and sure as heck not having any fun ODing on them.