The Film Corner

[Lord Avalon]

Got a new TV, so rewatched Blade Runner: Final Cut.

[Buster's Uncle]

And?

That's unicorn-and-no-narration, isn't it?

[Lord Avalon]

And?

That's unicorn-and-no-narration, isn't it?

Looks really good, even though my recording's not HD. TV has picture & sound settings for cinema. Yes, unicorn, no narration, ends with elevator doors closing.

[Buster's Uncle]

That's no ending.  I hate that version.

One of the best movies of all time, mind.

[Lord Avalon]

I think that ending fits better. That sunny shot of them driving/flying off together is a total clash with the gloomy, rainy whole rest of the movie. It's just wrong for the film noir aspect.

[Buster's Uncle]

It's still no ending, even if so.  That version stops instead of ends.

I'm sure there's a Blade Runner thread somewhere here - wanna go argue about whether Dekart was a replicant?  I say no.

[Vishniac]

...wanna go argue about whether Dekart was a replicant?  I say no.

[JarlWolf]

Battleship Potemkin (1925) - Full Movie; English

[Geo]

"It is good meat!"

[Geo]

"Killed for a plate of soup!"

[JarlWolf]

The revolt was pretexted by the fact the Captain was fed up of the crew complaining about the meat and more specifically, the broth. It wasn't really implied/mentioned well by the English subtitles, but its more or less to paint the cruelty of the captain and the Russian naval ministry and officers- more or less to say: This man died for a stupid, arrogant reason.

The film is definite propaganda mind, but it is also based on a true story- the conditions within the Russian navy at the time, especially for conscript sailors were abusive and horrid. It wasn't uncommon for many sailors to "take a long swim" back then because the conditions were so miserable, killing themselves and compatriots throwing them overboard, or being executed.

The mutiny of the potemik was fairly famous though and it was a definitive moment within the Russian military as a whole, and it showed the severe disparities between the largely aristocratic officer corps and the lower class soldiery and sailors. And this would later come to bite the Russian aristocracy in the ass when the lower classes- with the soldier and low rank military regulars and such would revolt against them.

And generally such men in the higher brass were hated so much, and those who sympathized, is how Stalin later justified killing all the Kulak. Kulak means fist in Russian and the Kulaks were land owners who owned farms, and used to bully and intimidate other serfs to work their property and pay rent, a case where lower class terrorize each other. Not saying that such a bloody atrocity is justified, just stating that such attitudes allowed it to happen.

[Geo]

I wasn't confused about the pretext nor meaning of the phrase, Jarlwolf. That particular smilie I use for things that are literally beyond me.
The movie makes the cruelty visibly clear, especially with the facial expressions of the officers during the tarpaulin scene.
One thing regarding historic accuracy: as I have read it, the crew sailed around in the Black Sea in hopes to persuades crews of other vessels to also rise up, but let the Potemkin sink when that didn't happen. The movie depicts it as a whole naval squadron joined it after the Odessa massacre.

[Sensor Osden]

I've watched two Nordic horrors/slasher fests recently- both Norwegian. One called 'Cold Prey' and the other 'Manhunt'.

The latter is similar in some respects to a cross between 'Texas Chainsaw' and 'Deliverance' or 'Southern Comfort' while the former is the usual small group isolated in a remote spot- this time in a disused ski lodge set amongst jaw-dropping landscape.

The Norwegians like to think that the British (or English) are like Norwegians, just mad. These two films show that Nordic horror comes with a fair sprinkling of madness, humour and social commentary.

On a completely different note, I recommend 'Pelle The Conqueror' which I watched again recently- not just for Max von Sydow's great performance as a man whose hopes are crushed beyond redemption but also for the young man who plays his disillusioned, but still affectionate son, Pelle.


Oh and 'Babette's Feast' too, simply because it's never out of my Top 10, just like 'The Grifters'.

[Unorthodox]

Kids and I watched World War Z over the weekend. 

I'd heard nothing but terrible things from this one. 

Other than the fact we were watching a disaster movie (which I hate) more than a Zombie Movie (which I'm ambivalent), it was occasionally entertaining.  Only decent scene was at the end, and I guess a lot of folks didn't like.  Whatever. 

Main character was a selfish unlikeable ass.  The zombie plague was poorly thought out and contradictory.  Various openings were never explored.  And the "cure" was ludicrous.  Pretty much standard zombie movie these days.  But that took a back seat to all the running from impending mass of disaster moments. 

Not my thing, but better than expectations. 


I attempted to watch Sint.  AKA Saint.  AKA Saint Nicholas. 

Dutch? Slasher Horror movie about St Nick and his band coming for everyone whenever there's a full moon on...whatever the holiday was in early december that he comes.

Not something I can watch with kids around, turns out.  Even teenage kids.

Backstory to start the movie was mildly entertaining, but the jump to present day took all of about 2 minutes to be waving dildos in the camera, talking sex and making fun of the virgin.  Sure, it's almost a given the virgin will survive and all the others will die at that point, but it was going down the "horror = excuse to film naked girls" route fast.   

[Unorthodox]

So, the boss and I went to see Into the Woods....

Let me preface by saying, I LOVE the play.  As in, it's probably my favorite Broadway production.  Ever. 

From the get go, it was clear Disney decided to steer away from some of the subtext of the play when Cinderella is introduced, and suddenly her drunken Father is erased from the script.  Unlike some other cuts, this was not a cut for time as he barely has any stage time in the play.  Jack's mom was also toned down right out the gate shortly after. 

Ok, I thought, we can roll with it, minor changes.  Then they started cutting little pieces.  The Baker's dad is all but removed from the script, and the fantastic number that ties a major theme of the play together when he's reunited with the Baker in act 2 is totally stripped, and a couple lines of dialog added instead which miss the whole heart of that theme. 

In fact, half of act 2 was just cut in favor of...I don't know. 

Depp's wolf was fantastic...and uncomfortable.  It's SUPPOSED to be uncomfortable. 

Streep played the witch as more of a basket case/mentally disturbed person where Bernadette Peters plays her as the only one that really knows what's going on in the original cast.  Both have their strengths and weaknesses there, but I'm biased and partial towards Peters.  However, I found both makeup jobs on the character SO underwhelming that they become distracting.  The Witch makeup was so STATIC it may as well have been a mask, and they obviously tried to do it minimally which makes the lack of movement all the more strange.  The beauty makeup was rather bland as well. 

Jack is fantastic, as are the Baker's wife and Cinderella. 

Overall, I'd say good, but not great.  Get the video of the stage play.  IMO.