The Film Corner

[Geo]

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.

Saint Nicholas is called "Sinterklaas" in most of Belgium and the Netherlands. Its often shortened to "Sint". His return from the south (Spain for the kids) happens on December six. Fixed date, not related to the Moon AFAIK. Although the historical figure the "Sint" is based on seems to have been a cruel church official (bishop?) at Nicosia 7 or 8 centuries ago.

[Unorthodox]

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.

Saint Nicholas is called "Sinterklaas" in most of Belgium and the Netherlands. Its often shortened to "Sint". His return from the south (Spain for the kids) happens on December six. Fixed date, not related to the Moon AFAIK. Although the historical figure the "Sint" is based on seems to have been a cruel church official (bishop?) at Nicosia 7 or 8 centuries ago.

Yeah, the premise of the movie is that when there's a full moon on December Sixth (insert every incredibly long period here), the cruel church official rises from the grave to rape and murder everyone in one particular town. 

The full movie wasn't so bad, really.  Gore was wonderfully old school, and easily ranks right alongside Silent Night, the American cousin. 

[Dio]

Cowboys vs. Dinosaurs  (don't watch it because I lasted about 5 minutes into the movie)

[Unorthodox]

Captain America: Civil War  Fulfilling a promise to my son to take him if he got all his school work in.

Effective Comic book movie.  Not the greatest thing ever some reviews would lead you to believe.  Go expecting mindless action and you won't be disappointed.  Nothing earth shattering, but solid action.  Everything else feels a little contrived.  If you were going to base the entire final battle on that little nugget, Marvel, you've had 6 movies to precursor it...instead you practically beat us over the head with it at the start of this one.  hardly subtle storytelling. 

[Buster's Uncle]

On a related note for George Lucas - everyone already knew how Darth Skywalker was ending up - you needed to play against that, not, for the love of God, foreshadow it like a no-talent amateur.

[Unorthodox]

On a related note for George Lucas - everyone already knew how Darth Skywalker was ending up - you needed to play against that, not, for the love of God, foreshadow it like a no-talent amateur.

Prequels?

I disagree.  You have to presume the intended viewing starts at #1.  Thus the foreshadowing is needed/good storytelling.  The fact that 90% of the audience at the time of release had already read the end of the book so to speak can't be held against him. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Prequels. 

STRONGLY disagree back - it was heavy, heavy, overkill foreshadowing that made Darth Skywalker very unlikeable.  Gotta focus on the bulk of the audience, besides.  I've talked about this: you ditch The Phantom Menace entirely except to move Darth Maul into a better movie, and you cast Ewan McGregor as Darth Skywalker, telling him to play him as a charming hero, wassisname as Obiwan -so you get his Qui Gon-like action in all three films, and make up a whole 'nother adventure between Clones and Return of the Sith - and make us deplore it when he goes bad, even though we knew it was coming.  I wanted to cut off Hayden Christiansen's limbs and set fire to him every frame of both movies he fouled, not withstanding that an incompetent director told him to play it that way.

[Unorthodox]

I didn't say he did it WELL.  But you have to foreshadow something and write it as though no one has seen 4-6.  Because, when you get to that next generation, they'll be watching starting at 1. 

Episode 1, an older Anakin would fix a heck of a lot. Shoot for a 16 year old.  Making Jar Jar a non-idiot would make up the rest.  Make him a Gungan outlaw/smuggler who regularly steals from the Naboo or something to give the appearance he knows his way around, which would explain why they might keep him around. 

The film gets a lot of flak, but really, those two changes would make it a decent movie. 

I have a feeling there was supposed to be a lot more Qui Gon in the following movies via voice/ghost/whatever that didn't make it for whatever reason.  I happen to LIKE his death and the resulting growth shown from Obi-Wan.  Not to mention the whole burning of Qui-Gon with Obi-Wan and Anakin talking correlation to ROTJ.  One of the best things in the prequels as they are. 

2 and 3, watching through the filter of my boys who were the age I was with 5 and 6, I think they would be fine with a recast of Anakin (who would now be mid-late 20's, and make a lot more sense being given such solo roles) to be honest.  Not perfect, mind you, but fine.   

[Buster's Uncle]

[shrugs] Are you talking about using Jake Lloyd?  I'd certainly audition him out of curiosity for the Lukeish face, and the stunt casting possibilities, but I saw a headline recently that he got convicted or something.

I never meant to suggest zero foreshadowing - and agree with this post.

McGregor still would have made sweet, sweet love to playing young Flash Gordon before the evil ray hit, and made you love Flash even after the turn, though.

(Structural note:  I remember before G. Lucas changed his account retroactively/revisionistly/he's lying now, and Luke needs to get born by the end of the first movie, 'cause Wars is his story....)

[Unorthodox]

Zootopia

One of the better non-musical animated films I've seen.  Probably up there near Incredibles. 

[Buster's Uncle]

I was just making Ming an avatar, and had a thought...

Uno - your reaction to this assertion, please, and anyone else's who knows to have an opinion:

Max Von Sydow was a magnificent Ming, but in no way embarrassed Charles Middleton, whose performance has stood the test of time and basically did all the groundwork for Von Sydow.

[Unorthodox]

I'll take Sydow on voice talent alone. 

[Buster's Uncle]

The mic on my webcam is nearly better equipment than Middleton was recorded on.  None of this is to dismiss Von Sydow at all, but he was essentially doing an imitation of Middleton as Ming, the part having already been nailed.

-Maybe you didn't notice that most of the other acting in the serials was barely competent, if that.  -Even Vultan was taking up space once he swore off evil and laughing.  (Brian Blessed definitely watched the serials, too, but only kept the good part.)  A strong Ming carries a flawed picture, whether in the 30s or the 80s...

[Buster's Uncle]

For a quick exercise in an acting class many years ago, I once was given a scene where I was to be a middle-aged dad talking to his son-in-law.  I had the easier part, since grumpy middle-aged man gives you a great hook that the other student, a young guy playing a young guy, didn't have.

My performance was well-received and during the post-mortem, I told the 'fessor that I was just doing George C. Scott - not the voice much, but the attitude, as if I had a cigar in the corner of my mouth.  She said that she wasn't sure an imitation of another actor right for the part was actually acting.  I'm not sure, either...

[Rusty Edge]

Well, I came down on the side of pretending to be somebody else in some other situation is acting, and pretending to be yourself in that same imaginary situation is not.

For all I know, the director told Von Sydow to try to recreate the serial role, rather than it being his choice or interpretation.

If I were directing Star Wars prequels, I would tell the actors that James Earl Jones was the definitive Darth Vader, the ultra villain that required an entire Falcon-full of heroes to overcome.

Sometimes I think actors try to do parts differently for the sake of putting their own imprint or twist on things, but really shouldn't if the part is well written. They should become the character, rather than the character become Tom Cruise or ( insert other big box office guy here ).