Movie

Was reading about Jumanji 4, and remembered my experience several years ago with a previous installment. This is coming from someone who is not a fan of Dwayne Johnson or Kevin Hart and was dragged to see the movie, but Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was a lot more fun than I expected. Some parts did drag on and some jokes did not land, but overall I had an enjoyable experience.

Anybody else into adventure films? Like survival type or pirates or any other variety? I don't know what it is about them, but maybe it's the excitement of leaving the familiar to go on some kind of journey, looking for treasure or even just exploring the unknown world. I think film is great medium for that because it's one of the few ways you can "go" on an adventure and live the excitement without leaving your couch.

What's been the most exciting adventure film you've seen, including movies from other genres that had awesome adventure elements?

The film “Brazil” by Terry Gilliam is a near-dystopian, fantasy, somewhat science fiction movie (and is utterly British and has almost nothing to do with Brazil). And it is also nearly perfect. I raise it here as my first post because I don’t want film aficionados to miss it.

The quick synopsis is a disaffected bureaucrat played by Jonathan Pryce struggles through a nightmarish system of red tape and a Kafkaesque torturing series of civil service departments, for whom he works, to find his true love.

That does nothing to summarize it. It is beyond true summary. It has no elevator pitch. It would never be made today. It’s too metaphorical, too unique, to be made in this current world.

But it was made and released in 1985. Terry Gilliam, who directed Monty Python and the Holy Grail, who directed The Fisher King and Twelve Monkeys and Time Bandits made a masterpiece. His first.

The film is cinematographically stunning. He achieved practical effects that are still unparalleled. The screenplay is both sparse and fulsome — not a word is needless, and all further the story. The acting is superb. Pryce, Broadbent, Palin, Helmond, name them, all deliver best performances.

It’s a film that defies description, yet tells a straight story. It boggles the mind visually. Its design aesthetic is unique. Neither futuristic nor mid-20th century, but somewhere in between. It is not a film for dumb moviegoers. It treats its audience with respect and intelligence. And is hilarious. And sad. And uplifting. And harrowing. And depressing. And hopeful. And despairing.

I saw it again tonight, but for the first time in 20 years. Because I could not see it since 2001. Because it captures all that has gone wrong in this world since. In myriad ways.

Do yourself a favor and do what I did tonight. See “Brazil” if you have not.

I just saw the Oscar nominated live action short films, and in the case of the The After, I thought it would make for a good opening to a longer movie. That got me thinking about what sections of feature length movies would make for good short stand alone films.

I'll start with the first ones that came to my mind: The opening of Up and the Christopher Walken scene from Pulp Fiction.

Im thinking along the lines of the food guy and bad guy characters actually switch at one point. Or basically everything you thought you know was wrong. Not just a twist at the end. Something in the middle that just fucked your shit up to the point you basically wanted to restart the whole thing halfway through

Obviously, Clint is the king of calling out railroading. But there are some other great ones out there.

The Insider features one of the all-time railroads against Russell Crowe.

Oppenheimer was railroaded significantly throughout Christopher Nolan’s 2023 film.

Michael Clayton thwarts a railroading magnificently.

They railroad Mark Ruffalo in Dark Waters, and yet he persists.

Indiana Jones and the temple of doom, I love endings like this one.

I need more feel good movie endings.

Just great ending that make you feel that was a great movie and I feel good after watching it.

Sometimes you need to watch a movie that can make your mood better and I can't think of many movies to watch like this.

I love all genres just need some movies that will help boast my mood. The film doesn't have to be feel good as long as the endings is a feeling good ending.

Tired of depressing films!

Thanks in advance to anyone suggesting a movie!

There's been loads of sympathetic movie villains throughout the years, and I've been curious to hear if anyone had a particular villain they rooted for so much that they got their happy ending instead of the hero?

I feel like one of my top picks would be the Frankenstein Monster, a character who had no choice in the matter, and was cruelly treated just for how he was created, it is without doubt one of the biggest tragedies in any kind of story, how about yours?

I watched “Her” (starring Joaquin Phoenix) and it had beautiful colours.

I need more films with beautiful and interesting colour palettes.

I’d like to see a movie that’s a pure blast from start to finish, something that will keep me engaged the whole time. The type of movie that Robert Rodriguez, Rob Zombie, or Quentin Tarantino would make (and you can recommend any of their movies as well).

Any genre would do, but I’m mostly thinking action comedy or horror, as those are genres I find the most entertaining.

Let’s say you’re Greig Fraser turning up to set to shoot an interior Dune scene. How long would it typically take to find the right angles to use, and for the gaffers to fiddle around with the lighting until it’s perfect?

What about exterior scenes where lighting is less predictable?

Obviously a lot of decisions are made in pre-production, but to what extent? Do the a stand-in actor to figure out the lighting prior to shooting?

Are the sets and lighting all build in software, with the minutia figured out on the fly?

Time is money, and I wondered how all this is worked out on a big budget film.

I'm talking about a film that made no money or got some bad reviews, but still had excellent acting or good cinematography.

Even if the Script or Acting was lacking, the rest of the production crew still decided to put in the effort to make a good film.

At least someone still took pride in their work, instead of just focusing on the paycheck.

What is the most disturbing or scary moment for you in a kids movie? The one that comes to mind for me is Like Mike. The scene where they're going to burn his only picture of his mom to get the shoes back. I still find that really messed up and it disturbs me more than some adult horror. This could be something that only scared you as a child but I'm more looking for something that still freaks you out to this day thinking about it.

Bad parenting question, but my step son has recently started watching modern horror films, and he walks around like he's the man because he was not scared of films like happy death day, and talks about how horror films don't scare him.

When I was around 8 I watched the original IT TV show/film, and I was scared to go down stairs in the dark just in case penny-wise was there, he's much older than that but I'm after a similar effect!

What can I get him to watch that will keep him awake at night?

Terrified is an unrelenting horror movie from start to finish. It does not waste time in getting into the horror from the bathroom scene intro, to the bedroom scene, to THAT scene in the kitchen. There's no SA scenes or anything of that nature. In other creative ways this film pulls no punches and goes where most films won't.

Also, it has the best explanations for jump scares which I've ever scene. Parallel realities. You look out a window / under the bed / in the closet and see nothing, but tilt your head ever so slightly and the demon was always there looking back at you.

Made by the same director who made When Evil Lurks, Terrified is literally the scariest movie I've ever seen in my life. I love horror movies but could only watch this one once. Good luck!