Moving pictures

[Hwy 61 Revisited]

Watched Lady Bird yesterday. Great coming-of-age dramedy with tight pacing and inventive cinematography, and definitely among my all-time top ten. Heck, maybe I'll list them right now!

   
• Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
• The Princess Bride
• Blade Runner
• The Shining
• Star Wars
• The Lord of the Rings
• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail
• Lady Bird
• Candyman

I've watched Scott Pilgrim about half a dozen times and I still can't figure out why so many think that is a cinematic masterpiece.  It's okay but it kind of has that whole weird following movies like the Big Lebowski get.  Candy Man is okay but horror movie standards but definitely isn't among the best IMO.  If I'm looking for a non-brand horror/slasher movie I tend to go for Phantasm 1 or 2.  Blade Runner is great movie but it also gets a little too much praise than it really deserved given how many cuts it took to get a definitive version.  The original three Star Wars movies are classics but the fan following has really soured the series me in general.

By Star Wars I had only meant A New Hope. There is only the Trilogy and The Clone Wars, that's it.

[Max Rockatansky]

Watched Lady Bird yesterday. Great coming-of-age dramedy with tight pacing and inventive cinematography, and definitely among my all-time top ten. Heck, maybe I'll list them right now!

   
• Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
• The Princess Bride
• Blade Runner
• The Shining
• Star Wars
• The Lord of the Rings
• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail
• Lady Bird
• Candyman

I've watched Scott Pilgrim about half a dozen times and I still can't figure out why so many think that is a cinematic masterpiece.  It's okay but it kind of has that whole weird following movies like the Big Lebowski get.  Candy Man is okay but horror movie standards but definitely isn't among the best IMO.  If I'm looking for a non-brand horror/slasher movie I tend to go for Phantasm 1 or 2.  Blade Runner is great movie but it also gets a little too much praise than it really deserved given how many cuts it took to get a definitive version.  The original three Star Wars movies are classics but the fan following has really soured the series me in general.

By Star Wars I had only meant A New Hope. There is only the Trilogy and The Clone Wars, that's it.

I liked The Mandalorian but that was a TV show and actually had the guts to do something different with the series.  The movies got way too bogged down with telling the same narrative the fans wanted or expected.  That made the sequel trilogy crash and burn with Rise of Skywalker but worked oddly with Revenge of the Sith.  Either way, it was way too much to put movie form and waters down the real classic movies in the series. 

Regarding Scott Pilgrim, an observation I had about the move is that everyone is an absolutely horrible person in it.  They all have some really severe problems which I think the angle was that it is supposed to be an analog for how people really are?  That kind of clashes with all the weird video game themed fight scenes and other weird things that pop up.  The titular main character is probably the worst of the entire lot.  He's arrogant, mean spirited, a womanizer, lazy, and even okay with statutory rape.  Maybe someone can explain to what I'm not seeing?

[Hwy 61 Revisited]

Watched Lady Bird yesterday. Great coming-of-age dramedy with tight pacing and inventive cinematography, and definitely among my all-time top ten. Heck, maybe I'll list them right now!

   
• Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
• The Princess Bride
• Blade Runner
• The Shining
• Star Wars
• The Lord of the Rings
• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail
• Lady Bird
• Candyman

I've watched Scott Pilgrim about half a dozen times and I still can't figure out why so many think that is a cinematic masterpiece.  It's okay but it kind of has that whole weird following movies like the Big Lebowski get.  Candy Man is okay but horror movie standards but definitely isn't among the best IMO.  If I'm looking for a non-brand horror/slasher movie I tend to go for Phantasm 1 or 2.  Blade Runner is great movie but it also gets a little too much praise than it really deserved given how many cuts it took to get a definitive version.  The original three Star Wars movies are classics but the fan following has really soured the series me in general.

By Star Wars I had only meant A New Hope. There is only the Trilogy and The Clone Wars, that's it.

I liked The Mandalorian but that was a TV show and actually had the guts to do something different with the series.  The movies got way too bogged down with telling the same narrative the fans wanted or expected.  That made the sequel trilogy crash and burn with Rise of Skywalker but worked oddly with Revenge of the Sith.  Either way, it was way too much to put movie form and waters down the real classic movies in the series. 

Regarding Scott Pilgrim, an observation I had about the move is that everyone is an absolutely horrible person in it.  They all have some really severe problems which I think the angle was that it is supposed to be an analog for how people really are?  That kind of clashes with all the weird video game themed fight scenes and other weird things that pop up.  The titular main character is probably the worst of the entire lot.  He's arrogant, mean spirited, a womanizer, lazy, and even okay with statutory rape.  Maybe someone can explain to what I'm not seeing?

Many comedies have unsympathetic protagonists. I do find it funny how Nega-Scott is a totally chill dude anyway. I guess Scott is the least evil of the eight, though he could have ended back up with Knives... though that would make Knives' arc a little sucky, so he should end up with Ramona... but that would ruin his character arc...


It's still a fun ride in terms of filmmaking, however. Very visually intriguing. Nega-Scott could have been developed more as he was supposed to be in the film though.


It's flawed, but still great! 

[Max Rockatansky]

Watched Lady Bird yesterday. Great coming-of-age dramedy with tight pacing and inventive cinematography, and definitely among my all-time top ten. Heck, maybe I'll list them right now!

   
• Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
• The Princess Bride
• Blade Runner
• The Shining
• Star Wars
• The Lord of the Rings
• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail
• Lady Bird
• Candyman

I've watched Scott Pilgrim about half a dozen times and I still can't figure out why so many think that is a cinematic masterpiece.  It's okay but it kind of has that whole weird following movies like the Big Lebowski get.  Candy Man is okay but horror movie standards but definitely isn't among the best IMO.  If I'm looking for a non-brand horror/slasher movie I tend to go for Phantasm 1 or 2.  Blade Runner is great movie but it also gets a little too much praise than it really deserved given how many cuts it took to get a definitive version.  The original three Star Wars movies are classics but the fan following has really soured the series me in general.

By Star Wars I had only meant A New Hope. There is only the Trilogy and The Clone Wars, that's it.

I liked The Mandalorian but that was a TV show and actually had the guts to do something different with the series.  The movies got way too bogged down with telling the same narrative the fans wanted or expected.  That made the sequel trilogy crash and burn with Rise of Skywalker but worked oddly with Revenge of the Sith.  Either way, it was way too much to put movie form and waters down the real classic movies in the series. 

Regarding Scott Pilgrim, an observation I had about the move is that everyone is an absolutely horrible person in it.  They all have some really severe problems which I think the angle was that it is supposed to be an analog for how people really are?  That kind of clashes with all the weird video game themed fight scenes and other weird things that pop up.  The titular main character is probably the worst of the entire lot.  He's arrogant, mean spirited, a womanizer, lazy, and even okay with statutory rape.  Maybe someone can explain to what I'm not seeing?

Many comedies have unsympathetic protagonists. I do find it funny how Nega-Scott is a totally chill dude anyway. I guess Scott is the least evil of the eight, though he could have ended back up with Knives... though that would make Knives' arc a little sucky, so he should end up with Ramona... but that would ruin his character arc...


It's still a fun ride in terms of filmmaking, however. Very visually intriguing. Nega-Scott could have been developed more as he was supposed to be in the film though.


It's flawed, but still great! 

I'd say way more of terrible person rather than "flawed."   I just find that character completely unlikeable and kind of grating to watch.  Wasn't the movie based off a comic book or something?   Maybe there is something in the source material which didn't translate to the screen.  When I think of a memorable unlikeable protagonist I tend to look back at movies like Taxi Driver and Travis Bickle.  The character is outright ugly and unsympathetic but nonetheless interesting because you don't know what he'll do next.  Joker kind of pulled off a similar portrayal but it over all wasn't in the same league as Taxi Driver.