Movies

[Tinker Grey]

ETA: This thread is open to anyone. Feel free to review movies or comment on other's reviews. Below I tagged Ana because he recommended Sword of Doom

@Ana the Ist

Ok, so I watch Sword of Doom. 1965 according to the DVD case, 1966 according to IMDB. Directed by Kihachi Okamoto

I enjoyed the lighting but it wasn't as good as Kurosawa (but who is). The sound quality varied...sometimes sounding natural, sometimes sounding like it was recorded on a stage. I felt similarly to some of the settings.

As for the story: Obviously, the first couple scenes are to establish "teh evil". Other than that I don't know why I should buy it. What's the character's motivation ... just evil? Am I supposed to accept the premise that certain styles of sword play is just evil? (Mifune's big speech might lead one to believe that.)

Why does his gang not like him? As far as could follow the story, they merely consider him a nuisance and a bit unreliable/arbitrary in his actions. There's the scene where he doesn't contribute to a battle, but all his associates die. So ...

Some of the tropes were nice, e.g., going into a new town's dojo and challenging someone to a match was handled well with a bit a payoff as to why. I thought the flashbacks were handled well.

Other parts that failed for me: the challenge to meet at 600AM to fight -- doesn't happen. Doesn't explain why. Did our anti-hero run off to Kyoto? We were sure he could beat his challenger "with one stroke" as he bragged. So why didn't the duel come off?

All in all, it was fun to watch. Mifune is magnificent. I loved his fight scene and his speeches. But, the story telling was weak. It doesn't help that it ends abruptly. A little research shows that this was the first of an unfinished trilogy. But, even so it was weak.

I do appreciate the recommendation.

Kagemusha up next.

 

[Chesterton]

Um, did you click The Kitchen Sink when you meant to click Start A Conversation?

 

[Tinker Grey]

Um, did you click The Kitchen Sink when you meant to click Start A Conversation?

I meant to start a movie thread in the Kitchen Sink. Is there somewhere else this thread should go?

 

[Chesterton]

I meant to start a movie thread in the Kitchen Sink. Is there somewhere else this thread should go?

I think you're good.

 

[Tinker Grey]

I think you're good.

Thanks

 

[Chesterton]

Anyway, my thoughts on Sword of Doom: based on the OP, I was interested enough to buy the DVD. Turns out, it is not a Godzilla movie. Very disappointing. Two thumbs down.

 

[Tinker Grey]

Kagemusha. 1980. Directed by Akira Kurosawa.

3 Hours!

Rather than expound on the plot, here's wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kagemusha

IIRC, I prefer Ran: It has more action and eye candy while maintaining drama.

Now that said. This really was an epic film. There's beautiful dream sequence with amazing color. It foreshadows, I think, the final 'live' sequence just before the credits roll. It's a good story with some great battle sequences. The battles are chaotic which I think lends to there reality. Even the participants, at points, have to rely on word of mouth as to what's happening and who's attacking whom.

Problems are perhaps with me. Modern films have spoiled me. I want things to happen faster. I watched the Criterion Collection version that restored 18 minutes of footage--perhaps that was the problem. I can think of whole sequences that could have been cut without ruining the story. I will say that Kurosawa is not afraid of silence and long moments. This is braver than many modern directors, I think, though maybe that's an American problem. Still it could have done with some editing.

I recommend this.

 

[Ana the Ist]

ETA: This thread is open to anyone. Feel free to review movies or comment on other's reviews. Below I tagged Ana because he recommended Sword of Doom

@Ana the Ist

Ok, so I watch Sword of Doom. 1965 according to the DVD case, 1966 according to IMDB. Directed by Kihachi Okamoto

I enjoyed the lighting but it wasn't as good as Kurosawa (but who is). The sound quality varied...sometimes sounding natural, sometimes sounding like it was recorded on a stage. I felt similarly to some of the settings.

As for the story: Obviously, the first couple scenes are to establish "teh evil". Other than that I don't know why I should buy it. What's the character's motivation ... just evil? Am I supposed to accept the premise that certain styles of sword play is just evil? (Mifune's big speech might lead one to believe that.)

Why does his gang not like him? As far as could follow the story, they merely consider him a nuisance and a bit unreliable/arbitrary in his actions. There's the scene where he doesn't contribute to a battle, but all his associates die. So ...

Some of the tropes were nice, e.g., going into a new town's dojo and challenging someone to a match was handled well with a bit a payoff as to why. I thought the flashbacks were handled well.

Other parts that failed for me: the challenge to meet at 600AM to fight -- doesn't happen. Doesn't explain why. Did our anti-hero run off to Kyoto? We were sure he could beat his challenger "with one stroke" as he bragged. So why didn't the duel come off?

All in all, it was fun to watch. Mifune is magnificent. I loved his fight scene and his speeches. But, the story telling was weak. It doesn't help that it ends abruptly. A little research shows that this was the first of an unfinished trilogy. But, even so it was weak.

I do appreciate the recommendation.

Kagemusha up next.

I can't disagree with any of that assessment...

You may recall that I didn't recommend it for the plot or story... just as a sword-slashing good time.

 

[Tinker Grey]

I can't disagree with any of that assessment...

You may recall that I didn't recommend it for the plot or story... just as a sword-slashing good time.

Hey, no worries. I like new experiences..

 

[Ana the Ist]

Hey, no worries. I like new experiences..

Ever watch a Miyazaki animated movie?

 

[Tinker Grey]

Ever watch a Miyazaki animated movie?

I've seen three: Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, and Princess Mononoke.

I know I'm a heretic, but I find the cultural references a bit beyond my grasp. Things like Akira, Grave of the Fireflies, and Metropolis are more accessible to me.

 

[Ana the Ist]

I've seen three: Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, and Princess Mononoke.

I know I'm a heretic, but I find the cultural references a bit beyond my grasp. Things like Akira, Grave of the Fireflies, and Metropolis are more accessible to me.

Princess Mononoke is pretty deep for an animated film. It's generally about the transition of japan itself out of it's old mystical shinto roots into a modern industrial world. To me, it's maybe the best animated film ever made.

However, given what you like, you should watch Ninja Scroll. Not as well known as Akira, and despite the silly title....a fantastic movie. I think Leonardo DiCaprio ended up buying the rights to make a live action version.

 

[Tinker Grey]

Princess Mononoke is pretty deep for an animated film. It's generally about the transition of japan itself out of it's old mystical shinto roots into a modern industrial world. To me, it's maybe the best animated film ever made.

However, given what you like, you should watch Ninja Scroll. Not as well known as Akira, and despite the silly title....a fantastic movie. I think Leonardo DiCaprio ended up buying the rights to make a live action version.

Thanks for the recommendation. I may try to re-watch PM and see if my feelings about it change.

 

[Resha Caner]

So this is just meant to be a general thread about film?

 

[Tinker Grey]

So this is just meant to be a general thread about film?

Yup

 

[Resha Caner]

Yup

Cool. So what aspects of film do you enjoy?
* Watching for entertainment, learning, vicarious experience, ...
* Critical analysis
* Making films

I'm sure there are other reasons as well.

 

[Tinker Grey]

Cool. So what aspects of film do you enjoy?
* Watching for entertainment, learning, vicarious experience, ...
* Critical analysis
* Making films

I'm sure there are other reasons as well.

I enjoy probably all aspects. Caveat: By enjoying "making films", I enjoy reading or hearing about the process.

I've enjoyed the occasional horror films, lots of Noir, Sci Fi, some historical but not much, Shakespeare. I can tolerate a well done rom-com, such as When Harry Met Sally, but I wouldn't choose them. I like westerns like Sergio Leone. I enjoy over top films like Sin City and Kill Bill. I love mocumentaries. I have enjoyed various documentaries.

 

[Resha Caner]

I enjoy probably all aspects. Caveat: By enjoying "making films", I enjoy reading or hearing about the process.

I see. A typical professorial comment in an entry level film class is, "Be sure you want to take this class, because I'm about to ruin movies for you." I'm more writer than filmmaker; still I had the same experience with literature. Over time, I learned to throw a switch in my head so I could read simply for enjoyment vs. reading critically. I do the same with film.

Though, as I said, I'm more writer than filmmaker, the essence of what I enjoy is storytelling, so I float across various mediums. Writing is a very solitary endeavor (at least for me), but I love filmmaking because of the collaborative nature.

Watching an actor take my idea and make it better through their interpretation is an incredible experience.

 

[super animator]

I noticed that incredible 2 have a dash of social commentary in it....
Before I get to that, how do I handle spoilers?

 

[Tinker Grey]

If you type: [spoiler]test[/spoiler]

You get:

Spoiler

test