Last film you saw, vol. 6

[robojac Corps Honor Guard Find all posts View Profile Close robojac]

How To Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

[W.West Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close W.West]

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising - Not nearly as funny as the first but still some funny moments in there that make it worthwhile. Never felt too slow which is the problem with most comedies.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

X-Men: First Class (2011)

"Are you sure we can't shave your head?
-Don't touch my hair."

Side note: you know, I just realized I haven't typed one cuss word since M told us about the Son of M occasionally reading the forum. That's like a winning streak for me. LoL

[Jeff Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Jeff]

That is a very wise saying that I've never heard before, but I do question if Malcom X ever spoke with an irate Eye-Talian family like the one I am in.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

Eraser (1996)

"No one screws with the union!"

That is a very wise saying that I've never heard before, but I do question if Malcom X ever spoke with an irate Eye-Talian family like the one I am in.

To be on the up and up, I'm not positive it is a true Malcom X quote. In Spike Lee's movie it's spoken by the guy (Baines) who converts him to Islam. A google search shows some people attributing it to him, some to the movie, and some attributing a similar quote to X.

At any rate, I try not to use foul language. As a kid I even had a rep for not cursing. Over the last few years, I've found that I do tend to use such words when I'm alone and angry at video games, but I'm cutting back on games that make me mad. Even then, I was conscious of not doing that in front of people and since I'm not accustomed to it, I don't curse when I stub my toe or someone cuts me off.

While I do believe intelligent people can use foul language even creatively (e.g., George Carlin or Kevin Smith), I also believe it's a low form of communication and anything that can be said well with those words can be said even better by others. I'm not necessarily a fan of censorship either, though, which is why some of my movie and comic quotes include colorful language with the cartoon substitutions in recognition of this board's family atmosphere and that I wouldn't say it myself. $#*&

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

I am sorely tempted to quote entire passages from The Aristocrats right now.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

King Kong Escapes (1967)

"I think he's had enough of what we call 'civilization.'"

I am sorely tempted to quote entire passages from The Aristocrats right now.

And then -M- will denounce us forever.

[robojac Corps Honor Guard Find all posts View Profile Close robojac]

Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb (2014)

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

For a while a friend and I have been talking about doing an 80s Cannon double feature. Last night we finally got to it:


Death Wish 3 (1985)

"I sent them a message."


Masters of the Universe (1987)

"I am not in a giving vein this day."

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

The Dark Crystal (1982)

"Trial by stone!"


Another Henson classic I never knew about, let alone saw, as a child. In another world, a race of evil bird-creatures called the Skeksis are trying to become immortal and rule forever after having already ruined a lot of the planet. Only a young survivor of their genocidal rampages stands to fulfill a prophecy to destroy them and save everyone.


I have to say this really was a treat. The visuals and creative processes of Henson and his peers is really something else, building an entire world before delving into the characters and their stories. Seeing the actors again working several at a time with the puppets and their very complex controls is amazing, and how hard it was for some of the models to stay crouched for minutes on end wearing heavy suits and all. Of course, those wearing Skeksis puppets had mini-monitors on chest harnesses, so they were watching themselves while they were acting, and that was a surprise.

I was very pleased with this film and its themes of peace, power, duality, wisdom, and arrogance. Overall, a great film, and the extras must be seen.

Highly recommend.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

The Children's Hour (1961)

"God will punish you.
-He's doing all right."

A bold-for-its time adaptation of the play, wherein a spiteful girl falsely accuses the headmistresses of her private school of having a lesbian relationship, which leads to the fledgling school's downfall and the ruination of the ladies' lives. Great performance

The Dark Crystal (1982) . . . The visuals and creative processes of Henson and his peers is really something else, building an entire world before delving into the characters and their stories. Seeing the actors again working several at a time with the puppets and their very complex controls is amazing . . .

I have a lot more interest (and respect) for that kind of special effects artistry than I do for cartoonish CGI-filled worlds of Avatar and the like. The fact that they fill a real space and are performed comes through to me more than the supposed "photo-realism" of modern effects.

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

Both have their pros and cons, and while productions from The Asylum/Syfy Channel and various other low-end studios may give a bad name to digital, and while tentpole works like Avatar may not look as ultra-realistic as they claim to be, there is a lot of good to be had from them, the same as puppets. And naturally, not all puppetry is at the level Henson achieved.

In the end, it's as it always will be: a mixture of the viewer's tastes and the talent's capabilities. I both like and dislike aspects of each medium, so I prefer thinking that I have a healthy stance regarding each.

[robojac Corps Honor Guard Find all posts View Profile Close robojac]

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

Deadly Duo (1971)

"It's full of traps."

. . . In the end, it's as it always will be: a mixture of the viewer's tastes and the talent's capabilities. I both like and dislike aspects of each medium, so I prefer thinking that I have a healthy stance regarding each.

Amen. And I get why people would prefer the photo-realism. My preference is for CGI that enhances the live action, like when they make a city bigger or do a quick cut away of a limb being chopped off and much less so with all-CGI characters.

But even that's not a rule since I loved Guardians of the Galaxy and CGI Gollum and Hulk were pretty good. Really, the depth of my feeling comes more from having heard several people say things about how they can't stand old Godzilla because it looks so "fake" or that Henson stuff is corny because you can see the sticks. I feel like those same people should go to their kid's play and scream "I can see the wires on Peter Pan; fake!"

[Jeff Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Jeff]

Amen. And I get why people would prefer the photo-realism. My preference is for CGI that enhances the live action, like when they make a city bigger or do a quick cut away of a limb being chopped off and much less so with all-CGI characters.

But even that's not a rule since I loved Guardians of the Galaxy and CGI Gollum and Hulk were pretty good. Really, the depth of my feeling comes more from having heard several people say things about how they can't stand old Godzilla because it looks so "fake" or that Henson stuff is corny because you can see the sticks. I feel like those same people should go to their kid's play and scream "I can see the wires on Peter Pan; fake!"

I more or less agree with both of you. It depends on the level of quality being administered to both methods. The original Jurassic Park was a milestone and can still stand up to the best of what today's films have to offer. The SW prequels are another good example. Then you have masters like Tom Savini or the Harryhuesen films that just befuddle the mind in their splendor.

Sometimes, I really don't want to know what's being used, that way I can judge the scene or character independently. last night, I watched The Shallows. If CGI was used, you fooled me good. In specific regards to Godzilla, I have nothing against the rubber suit films and will always give them a watch if the mood strikes, but the 2014 film is just superior IMHO. The worst thing about the Toho films was when someone actually told me they were guys in rubber suits. It utterly destroyed the magic for me as a child, much akin to learning the truth about Santa Claus from the assholes I grew up with that just wanted to destroy childhood pleasures. When I watched Creature Double Feature, I was awed by Godzilla. Then it got ruined, but I can still enjoy them quite a lot.

Obviously, there are certain films that you automatically are going to know that CGI is/will be used, i.e. Jurassic World or the super hero movies. Then there are these little independent films like a couple of those croc movies I recently watched that I honestly didn't know.