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[swoon]

imagine people taking you to task for making a list of your own personal favorite movies

pretty sure this has happen...to me..

I can't argue that a focused list tells you more about a director (though, frankly, that's mostly a curiosity, and doesn't really affect what their art actually is), but I imagine Wright intended his list to be something of a "Here's a bunch of shit to watch, nerds" type of list (cuz his audience is prob mostly genre fans, not 'deep dive into the arts' folks), rather than a truly personalized look at his inner psyche or artistic perspective.

sure, i don't think that's the worst idea in the world, but also don't think it makes it immune to criticism, anymore than his films, which to me the same as this list.

 

[Currygan]

Mike Leigh is as realistic as you get in my opinion. The man is a genius.

ditto

gonna be a sad day when he retires

also, obligatory Mike Leigh/Nolan "kill me" gif

 

[Fancy Clown]

Brazil is a lot to take in. Every frame of the movie is packed with detail, dialogue comes a mile a minute, visual details come in the foreground, middle ground, and background often all at once as the camera zips around distorting faces with ultra wide lenses turning everuone into grotesque creations, and all of this keeps the pace up for two and a half hours. It feels like a utterly unfiltered look inside Terry Gilliam's wonderful imagination, but is as impressively cohesive as it is draining. The movie's full, unflinching, commitment to its dark, dystopic themes, despite playing like a live action cartoon, is what really makes it a success, and more than just a wildly creative art project. I feel like I missed a million details in the flurry of activity in every shot, but thankfully the movie is well worth repeat viewings. Just make sure you schedule time for a long nap afterwards.

sure, i don't think that's the worst idea in the world, but also don't think it makes it immune to criticism, anymore than his films, which to me the same as this list.

So you wanted to make sure we all knew you thought a dude's list of movies he likes is boring so that you could then also tell us you think the movies he makes are boring.

Seems kind of round about but ok. We are aware now.

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

sure, i don't think that's the worst idea in the world, but also don't think it makes it immune to criticism, anymore than his films, which to me the same as this list.

I mean, a director releasing a Top 1000 list with no elaboration on any of the movies and no attempt at qualitatively ranking, or even just grouping them is pretty masturbatory and pointless, but hey, it got somebody some advertising revenue.

 

[Fancy Clown]

If it gets people to check out good movies they wouldn't have without Edgar Wright's seal of approval on it, then it's done its job.

It's obviously not the most personal or informative list, but he's done plenty of those before.

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

If it gets people to check out good movies they wouldn't have without Edgar Wright's seal of approval on it, then it's done its job.

It's obviously not the most personal or informative list, but he's done plenty of those before.

I doubt it actually will, to any meaningful extent, but it's a decent enough thing to put on iCheckMovies, I guess.

 

[Fancy Clown]

Depends what you consider a meaningul extent, I guess. There were a number of people in the thread who expressed interest in exploring the movies on that list. We're not gonna have a new wave of film literate elites or anything, but If a couple people watch a movie based on that list that they wouldn't have otherwise then that's pretty cool. Doubly cool if they come in here to discuss it so we can tell them their taste in movies is boring.

 

[Messofanego]

So you wanted to make sure we all knew you thought a dude's list of movies he likes is boring so that you could then also tell us you think the movies he makes are boring.

Seems kind of round about but ok. We are aware now.

Would you expect any less from a swoon post?

Why do people get so huffy about lists when they're not your own? Just makes you look like a debbie downer. It works every time lol

 

[old manatee]

Snowdon weighing in on Wright's list:

Government surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden rapped Edgar Wright on Thursday for his careless handling of information and his unwillingness to prune his top 1000 movies list.

“Democratizing information has never been more vital, and Edgar Wright has helped,” he wrote on Twitter. “But his hostility to even modest curation is a mistake.”

I think it was irresponsible of Edgar Wright to release the list to the public in its current form. tmi imo.

 

[thenexus6]

Under the Skin

Wow, uh, well.

I liked it! Some fantastic imagery and editing. Really cool and atmospheric.

 

[Kazaam]

also, obligatory Mike Leigh/Nolan "kill me" gif

Hahaha... he's sooo out of place!!

 

[ActWan]

Dead Man's Shoes

Good movie. Some stuff don't really add up but it's nice overall, I love the main actor.
Also a great soundtrack! Still listening to it.

 

[Auctopus]

Two films recently...

Demolition: Solid performance by Jake but I felt by the end the film wasn't really saying that much. The journey was sort of fun and Jake is my favourite actor but I just didn't really feel much when I think the film really wanted me to. Probably will re-watch.

The Witch: I was aware of the hype but kept my expectations in check, I was still sort of disappointed. Probably because I was expecting a different sort of horror. Definitely tense at times but it sort of wore off when the same thing would happen in cycles "argument/labour/haunting". Ending was sort of deflating too. Probably won't rewatch.

 

[zoukka]

Yeah Leigh is a genius. Only seen Naked, Happy Go Lucky and Another Good Year, and all are perfect movies. Met Leigh at the Midnight Sun Film Festival a year ago, he was a great dude and it was fascinating to hear his 2 hour lecture there.

Btw: has any non-finnish gaffer ever attended the Midnight Sun Film Festival?

 

[Baroquemantic]

Speed Racer

Yo. YO. That ish, was awesome. What a fun ass movie. And a great adaptation. It was seriously the anime come to life. Everything was so...animated & over the top, and the colors; maaan the colors. Look at all dat rainbow. But seriously, this was a visual treat. It's just so gorgeous. Also gorgeous--Trixie, Horuko, and Gennie. Lordt.

Anyway, "Get that weak shit off my track!"

--

I've seen clips of the anime, Redline. Speed Racer reminded me I never watched it. It's supposed to be really good, right?

 

[Rhomega Beta]

I dunno about the series since I haven't seen it in forever. I don't think it's the best anime, but it's important as being one of the first anime series to make it here to America.

I also love the movie for the reasons you stated.

 

[User 479360]

Just got home from a double feature at the movies.

First up was Lights Out, which was pretty good. Somewhat predictable, though. It had a couple of good scares, and the acting was definitely above average for this type of movie. Worth seeing.

Then Nerve, which had piqued my curiosity via trailers. It was pretty good as well, and I enjoyed it.

Since I didn't have anything to do later, and had already bought two tickets, I thought about walking next door to Jason Bourne once Nerve ended. I looked in when the movie ended, but they were still cleaning the theatre with 10 minutes to go and my conscience wouldn't let me do it.

 

[frye]

I've seen clips of the anime, Redline. Speed Racer reminded me I never watched it. It's supposed to be really good, right?

Yeah it's dope. One of the cartoons I was mildly obsessed with as a kid was Wacky Races -- I think I must've only seen two or three episodes or something but I thought it was the best thing in the world for a hot minute -- and lemme tell you that Redline is basically my memories of that show x1000 versus the rather dull reality of rewatching clips of it on youtube.

 

[Fancy Clown]

Paths of Glory is like the secret best Kubrick movie. Easily his most emotionally affecting at the very least. Coming off of The Killing this is really where he starts to feel very Kubrickian in the way his later movies do, but unlike his other movies that are generally about cynical characters to match his cynical world, this one has totally emotionally real and pathos fueled characters being crushed in a cynical world and it is absolutely brutal[/]. Everything about the movie is superlative honestly, from the camera work to Kirk Douglas's 10/10 performance. I wanna give a special shout out to the editing though, as it's very spare and unrelentingly immediate cuts lead to some very cold transitions that only heighten the emotional impact of the scenes, and it keeps the film extremely lean while maximizing every emotional payoff.

 

[thenexus6]

Hail Caeser!

Wanted to see this after the trailer, film came out and most people were down on it. Decided to rent it last night.

It was fine, kinda fell flat for me but can't quite put my finger on why.

 

[BaronLundi]

Speed Racer

Yo. YO. That ish, was awesome. What a fun ass movie. And a great adaptation. It was seriously the anime come to life. Everything was so...animated & over the top, and the colors; maaan the colors. Look at all dat rainbow. But seriously, this was a visual treat. It's just so gorgeous. Also gorgeous--Trixie, Horuko, and Gennie. Lordt.

Anyway, "Get that weak shit off my track!"

--

I've seen clips of the anime, Redline. Speed Racer reminded me I never watched it. It's supposed to be really good, right?

Redline is somewhat visually impressive but terrible. Then again I thought Speed Racers was awful ;p

 

[Grinchy]

I watched Hologram for the King last night. I actually really enjoyed it. Tom Hanks is as good as ever and just evaporates into the role. The entire cast was pretty much perfect. It's the kind of movie you know you enjoyed when it's over, but it's not until further reflection that you figure out why you liked it so much. There are a lot of layers to it.

 

[Steve.1981]

Went to see Jason Bourne last night.

Everything else aside, I thought it had the worst filmed action set-pieces I've seen in a long, long time. I struggled to understand anything that was happening to anyone. No exaggeration. It was all extreme close-ups and rapid-fire half-second cuts, and the shaky camera felt absurdly overdone.

I really think when filming action, even if you're going for a frantic pace, you've just got to pull the camera back from time to time and give us some longer establishing shots that let us know where everyone is and how the situation is progressing. All I could catch during the chases and fights in this film were fleeting glimpses of...things...someone's elbow, or forehead, a motorbike's exhaust, or a car door...and all from oddly framed angles. I was never sure exactly what I was seeing or why, and it was all so hyperactive. I honestly felt like my eyes were bleeding during the car chase.

Oh, and about that...they had a damn Mustang chasing a SWAT van, down the Vegas strip...

HOW DO YOU FUCK THAT UP! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWESOME!!

As an action fan, I thought it was very disappointing. I could be wrong, but I honestly don't remember Supremacy and Ultimatum being as bad. In fact I remember enjoying Supremacy (and it's big car chase in particular). I remember those films got a bit hectic at times, but the action was still clear enough to follow.

 

[lordxar]

The Bay. This started out a bit boring but once it got moving I really liked it. The found footage aspect actually worked fairly well but the reporter girl was kind of annoying. Also I watched this on DVD so some of the video really looked like shit when they went on Skype calls.

 

[UrbanRats]

I've seen clips of the anime, Redline. Speed Racer reminded me I never watched it. It's supposed to be really good, right?

The story can get tedious, but the spectacle is there, especially if you're into animation.
Absolutely worth the watch, regardless.

 

[jett]

Speed Racer

Yo. YO. That ish, was awesome. What a fun ass movie. And a great adaptation. It was seriously the anime come to life. Everything was so...animated & over the top, and the colors; maaan the colors. Look at all dat rainbow. But seriously, this was a visual treat. It's just so gorgeous. Also gorgeous--Trixie, Horuko, and Gennie. Lordt.

Anyway, "Get that weak shit off my track!"

--

I've seen clips of the anime, Redline. Speed Racer reminded me I never watched it. It's supposed to be really good, right?

ONE OF US, ONE OF US

Yeaaah Speed Racer is just awesome, in the truest sense of the word.

Redline is a good time, but it's no Speed Racer. It's worth a watch for the crazy animation quality.

 

[Baroquemantic]

Yeah it's dope. One of the cartoons I was mildly obsessed with as a kid was Wacky Races -- I think I must've only seen two or three episodes or something but I thought it was the best thing in the world for a hot minute -- and lemme tell you that Redline is basically my memories of that show x1000 versus the rather dull reality of rewatching clips of it on youtube.

Redline is somewhat visually impressive but terrible. Then again I thought Speed Racers was awful ;p

The story can get tedious, but the spectacle is there, especially if you're into animation.
Absolutely worth the watch, regardless.

Noice!

Looks like it's on Google Play, so I'll rent it sometime next week.

Edit:

ONE OF US, ONE OF US

Yeaaah Speed Racer is just awesome, in the truest sense of the word.

Redline is a good time, but it's no Speed Racer. It's worth a watch for the crazy animation quality.

I really didn't think I'd like Speed Racer as much as I did, but it ended up being one of the must fun, awesome movies I've ever seen. It just really clicked with me. I know it'll never happen, but I'd like to see a sequel.

 

[daydream]

Pusher: A lot can happen in twenty years. For example, the visual signature of a director can take a 180° turn. An occurence that is almost unheard of, however, and one of the many reasons why 'Pusher' is so exhilarating. Predating the first Dogme film by a solid two years, Refn invokes the dark underground of Copenhagen with an immaculate sense of rhythm - a gangster film on paper, 'Pusher' is chase film through and through - and intertwines it expertly with the characters' private fears and desires of which almost none have to be spoken out loud. The camera work shines just as brightly, with Søborg clearly being hustled from one location to the next, as if he were on the run himself, and still nailing one shot after another.

A highly impressive debut and perhaps one deserving of more attention.

 

[UrbanRats]

Pusher: A lot can happen in twenty years. For example, the visual signature of a director can take a 180° turn. An occurence that is almost unheard of, however, and one of the many reasons why 'Pusher' is so exhilarating. Predating the first Dogme film by a solid two years, Refn invokes the dark underground of Copenhagen with an immaculate sense of rhythm - a gangster film on paper, 'Pusher' is chase film through and through - and intertwines it expertly with the characters' private fears and desires of which almost none have to be spoken out loud. The camera work shines just as brightly, with Søborg clearly being hustled from one location to the next, as if he were on the run himself, and still nailing one shot after another.

A highly impressive debut and perhaps one deserving of more attention.

Pusher 2 and 3 are even better in my opinion.

 

[Puck Beaverton]

One of the few trilogies that gets better with each entry honestly. I really love Pusher 3.

 

[VLiberty]

I've just watched Now You See Me.

Spoiler

Basically Morgan Freeman's charachter was involved in the death of a man 20 years prior to the events of the movie. The entire plot is an incredibly well-planned revenge by the son of said man but you won't even have a clue about it until the very end, when it blows your mind
If you've seen that other movie, you'll understand how even more mindblowing it is

 

[Rhomega Beta]

The Warriors: This reminds me of Jet Set Radio. A number of gangs with unique themes in a city covered with graffiti occasionally interjected with segments from a radio DJ. This movie was pretty good. It reminds us that New York City has seen worse days. I loved the scenery, there were good action scenes, and it just makes me want to see New York City more, just not the Bronx. It doesn't get as dark and gritty as it could (that's a good thing). Maybe I'll visit Coney Island and the ocean.

 

[Divius]

> AUGUST THREAD <