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Post by PG Cooper on Feb 27, 2015 17:09:28 GMT -5
The 78th Academy AwardsWrong: Crash wins Best Picture  I won’t spend much time here as this is almost certainly the most maligned Oscar choice in recent memory. Just a really flawed and heavy handed effort which had no business even being nominated. Right: “It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp” from Hustle and Flow wins Best Original Song  Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” had previously won this award for 8 Mile, but I think this was an even bigger victory for a hip hop song. “Lose Yourself” is a song about meeting challenges and overcoming adversity, performed by the biggest artist of the time, and in a film directed by a prestigious filmmaker. This song is about the difficulties of pimping, written by a moderately successful rap group, and featured in a new filmmaker’s freshman effort. And yet the song proves to be a passionate and moving anthem completely deserving of its victory. The 79th Academy AwardsWrong: Little Miss Sunshine wins Best Original Screenplay  I like Little Miss Sunshine. It’s a cute movie with some genuinely funny moments. But it’s also twee and disposable. There’s no way in hell it deserved to win over compelling and complex nominees Babel, Letters from Iwo Jima, Pan’s Labyrinth, and The Queen. Right: Helen Mirren wins Best Actress for The Queen  It might be easy to dismiss Mirren’s performance as being the type of Oscar bait biopic work that the Academy usually honours, but anyone who has seen The Queen knows that isn’t the case. Mirren creates a wonderfully layered portrait of a complex figure trying to discover what to do and her place in the modern world. It’s a masterclass in how to create a character through subtlety. The 80th Academy AwardsWrong: Atonement wins Best Original Score  Unlike Finding Neverland, which had a forgettable score, Atonement’s score is overbearing and actively distracts from the film while watching. The notion of fusing the sounds of a typewriter into the music was misguided and very annoying. Anyway, the score of the year was clearly Johnny Greenwood’s for There Will Be Blood, but since the Academy deemed it ineligible they probably should have gone with The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford…which also wasn’t nominated. Whatever. Right: Daniel Day-Lewis wins Best Actor for There Will Be Blood  This is one of the greatest performances of all-time. To award anything else would have been insanity. The 81st Academy AwardsWrong: Sean Penn wins Best Actor for Milk  Penn definitely deserved his Oscar for Mystic River, but not for Milk. He’s very good, don’t get me wrong, but this was Mickey Rourke’s to win. His heart wrenching turn in The Wrestler is one of the best performances in recent memory and is still remembered fondly, whereas Milk is largely forgotten. Right: Heath Ledger wins Best Supporting Actor for The Dark Knight  The Dark Knight was the most talked about film of 2008 and much of that came from Ledger’s incredible portrayal of famous super villain The Joker. This performance was a complete icon almost immediately and his performance has already been immortalized as one of the best villains of all time. No, he didn’t win because he died, he won because he was the best. The 82nd Academy AwardsWrong: Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire wins Best Adapted Screenplay  No one talks about it now, but critics seemed to love Precious back in 2009. This is a sappy and simplistic movie which indulges in clichés and features some very underdeveloped characters. Other nominees were District 9, An Education, In the Loop, and Up in the Air. In the Loop is easily my choice, but really any of the nominees would have been better than Precious. Right: Mo’Nique wins Best Supporting Actress for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire  I pretty much hate Precious, but also believe in being fair. Mo’Nnique gives a genuinely compelling and intense performance, turning a one-dimensional villain into a character with some complexity. She really makes the most out of what she has and is a primary reason people believed Precious was better than it really is. The 83rd Academy AwardsWrong: The King’s Speech wins Best Picture  This was the first year I really followed the award’s season and I remember getting into a lot of debates regarding its artistic quality. It’s a good movie I suppose, but it’s the type of safe middlebrow fluff that makes me roll my eyes. These movies exist to win awards, and they tend to be forgotten pretty quickly, which is certainly the case here. This is a year that gave us bold cinematic works like Inception, The Social Network, and Black Swan, along with excellent audience pleasers like Toy Story 3, True Grit, and The Fighter. Pick any of these at random and you have a better winner than The King’s Speech. Right: The Social Network wins Best Adapted Screenplay  The Social Network was the Best Picture frontrunner for a long time before Harvey Weinstein’s campaigning turned the tide. Still, the Academy at least still honoured Aaron Sorkin’s excellent screenplay. The dialogue is of course the stand out, but Sorkin also deserves credit for crafting some well-realized characters and turning the founding of a website into a genuinely exciting story. To be concluded...
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Post by Neverending on Feb 27, 2015 17:22:19 GMT -5
Right: Daniel Day-Lewis wins Best Actor for There Will Be Blood This is the only Oscar that Daniel Day-Lewis actually deserved. My Left Foot is Oscar-bait nonsense. And Lincoln with the goofy voice over Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook? NO WAY. I can almost guarantee if Heath Ledger hadn't died, Robert Downey Jr would have won for Tropic Thunder. He's SUPER popular among the Hollywood elite and that was his comeback year. I'm not saying I agree. Heath Ledger definitely earned his Oscar. But you can never ignore Hollywood politics. |
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Post by PG Cooper on Feb 27, 2015 17:48:54 GMT -5
Right: Daniel Day-Lewis wins Best Actor for There Will Be Blood This is the only Oscar that Daniel Day-Lewis actually deserved. My Left Foot is Oscar-bait nonsense. And Lincoln with the goofy voice over Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook? NO WAY. My Left Foot the movie is pretty mediocre, but I do genuinely think his performance is pretty stellar. I might have voted for Cruise instead but it's close. I also think he was amazing in Lincoln, though my choice for best actor would have defintitely been Joaquin Phoenix for The Master. Maybe. I guess we'll never know. |
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Post by Neverending on Feb 27, 2015 17:56:09 GMT -5
I might have voted for Cruise I'm pretty sure history already made Robin Williams the winner. |
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Post by PG Cooper on Feb 27, 2015 18:13:24 GMT -5
It's a fine performance, one that plays well to Williams' strengths as an actor, but Crusie had the far more challenging role and I think he nailed it.
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Post by Neverending on Feb 27, 2015 18:22:26 GMT -5
Crusie had the far more challenging role. Tom Cruise should have won for Rain Man. Oh wait... |
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Post by PG Cooper on Mar 3, 2015 19:38:51 GMT -5
The 84th Academy AwardsWrong: The Artist wins Best Picture  I’m embarrassed to say I fully supported this choice back in 2011. I was a lot younger than and I know a lot more about film and silent cinema now. This may have more style and ambition than The King’s Speech, but at the end of the day this is another safe and middlebrow film which is unchallenging and it isn’t nearly as powerful or moving as it thinks it is. To be honest, all of the Best Picture nominees were pretty flawed, but I’d still say Hugo, Midnight in Paris, or The Descendants would have all been much better choices. Right: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo wins Best Film Editing  This gets a lot of points for being a surprise. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was one of the best films of the year, but a lot of its nominations seemed more like afterthoughts or place fillers. It was pretty thrilling to see this award come and it was well-earned. The film is cut in a very crisp and thrilling matter, with the multiple storylines and characters all being handled perfectly. The 85th Academy AwardsWrong: Life of Pi wins Best Cinematography  This is the problem with certain films tending to dominate the tech categories. Life of Pi is a great film which looks amazing and does deserve credit for a lot of aspects, but cinematography? Most of this film is shot on a green screen. It’s not the cinematography that makes it all look so great, it’s the computer generated imagery. This would have been a good time to finally honour Roger Deakins for Skyfall, but there were other beautifully shot films which weren’t even nominated like Beasts of the Southern Wild and The Master. Right: “Skyfall” from Skyfall wins Best Original Song  As a James Bond fan, it was pretty cool to see Skyfall so represented at the Oscars. In retrospect, it probably didn’t deserve to be seen as such a vast leap for the series, but this is one award it definitely deserved. Adele’s performance of “Skyfall” is awesome and in truth the series was long overdue for an Oscar for Best Original Song. The 86th Academy AwardsWrong: Gravity wins Best Cinematography  Same deal as Life of Pi. Gravity is an incredible technical achievement, but most of it was created on green screens. Inside Llewyn Davis, Prisoners, or 12 Years a Slave were much more photographically accomplished. Right: 12 Years a Slave wins Best Picture  Tonight may mark one of the rare occasions where the Best Picture winner is also my favourite film of the year. Interestingly enough, this is exactly what happened last year when Steve McQueen’s excellent portrayal of American slavery, 12 Years a Slave, won Best Picture. To be sure, the film is not an easy watch. It’s a harrowing depiction of one of the darkest chapters in American history. However the film is something of a must see not only for historical importance, but also for the masterful filmmaking on display. This is clearly the work of a director at the height of his prowess, not only getting the best work out of everyone involved, but also making some bold decisions which pay off in big ways.
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Post by Neverending on Mar 3, 2015 20:44:00 GMT -5
Gravity won for the same reason that Birdman won, the seamless one shots.
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Post by PG Cooper on Mar 22, 2015 17:33:35 GMT -5
First impressions are important. The opening scene of a film is one of the most crucial. Filmmakers need to grab the audiences’ attention right from the start while establishing certain elements which will run through the film, such as tone, characters, story, setting, etc. A lot of filmmakers have come up with some ingenious openings and I’ve wanted to do a list of my favourites for a while. However in my research I thought of another idea; movies that started really strong, but were never able to match their first scene. These movies listed aren’t necessarily bad, some I’d even call straight-up good, but each opened with a promise that wasn’t really met. The rankings of the list are based on two factors: how the excellence of the opening and how disappointing what follows is. 10 Films Which Didn't Live Up to Their Opening10. Star Trek (2009) The new Star Trek films have been defined by being big, loud, and action packed. It’s a decision that’s irked some long-time fans, but there’s no denying it can be effective, as seen in the opening where a Federation ship is besieged by a Romulan vessel coming through a black hole. The black hole and the coming ship give a sense of sci-fi intrigue, the space battle is very well-realized, and Kirk’s father having to sacrifice his life for his newborn son, wife, and the crew gives the scene a sense of poignancy. The rest of the movie has lots of entertaining action scenes as well, but none could really capture the emotions of this opener. 9. Lethal Weapon 3 I’m a sucker for this franchise and enjoy all of the films to some extent. However there’s really no denying that some entries are lesser and for my money, this is the worst. It’s not really a terrible film so much as it is an unmemorable one. It does however feature a great opening where Riggs convinces Muratugh not to wait for the bomb squad to investigate a threat. The scene is full of playful banter between Riggs and Murtaugh, genuine tension, and an awesome explosion. There are a few good scenes later on, but as far as embodying the action and humour that define the series, this opening is the best. 8. House on Haunted Hill (1959) This cult horror film comes from director/producer William Castle, a man known for overcoming budgetary issues with some fun gimmicks and imagination. This intro embodies that spirit perfectly in its minimalist approach. The first 30 seconds of the film is literally a black screen with the sounds of screams, moans, chains, and creaks played over. We then get some talking head narration with Vincent Price talking directly to the audience, explaining the history of the haunted house and the people coming to stay in it. It’s obviously a little hokey, but that’s what makes it so fun. Unfortunately, the supernatural mystery and amusement set up in this opening scene is eventually diminished via a totally practical and uninteresting ending. |
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Post by Neverending on Mar 22, 2015 18:17:08 GMT -5
What the fuck are you talking about? The best scene in Lethal Weapon 3 is Mel Gibson and Rene Russo comparing scars.
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Post by IanTheCool on Mar 22, 2015 18:35:54 GMT -5
I know what movie should be here, we'll see if it is.
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Post by PG Cooper on Mar 22, 2015 18:40:15 GMT -5
What the fuck are you talking about? The best scene in Lethal Weapon 3 is Mel Gibson and Rene Russo comparing scars. It's the other good scene in the film. I like it, but as far as capturing the excitement and humour of the series, the opening is king. |
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Post by Neverending on Mar 22, 2015 18:47:47 GMT -5
I know what movie should be here. Saving Private Ryan |
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Post by Dracula on Mar 22, 2015 19:15:33 GMT -5
Cool list idea
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Post by thebtskink on Mar 22, 2015 19:21:26 GMT -5
Whose wrists are you supposed to breaking?
Really cool list idea.
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Post by PG Cooper on Mar 22, 2015 19:49:00 GMT -5
Whose wrists are you supposed to breaking? Um, the haters? |
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Post by PG Cooper on Mar 23, 2015 9:56:19 GMT -5
7. Dawn of the Dead (2004) To some extent I actually feel bad listing this as I do think it’s a pretty enjoyable movie on the whole. However I also think the opening is inarguably the highlight of the film. It’s a simple scene; main character Ana returns home to her husband and daughter before zombie outbreak occurs the next morning. In just a few minutes, Zack Snyder establishes the character’s family life and then proceeds to tear it apart. The zombie attacks themselves are vicious and the camera work while Ana drives through the chaos of the growing apocalypse is awesome. The icing on top is the opening credits, which use a news footage style to show the global impact of the zombie rise set to Johnny Cash’s “When the Man Comes Around”. On the whole, it’s horrific and badass. The rest of the film is okay too, but once the characters get to the mall the film more or less becomes the remake everyone expected. 6. Austin Powers in Goldmember The Achilles heel of the Austin Powers sequels has always been the blatant recycling of old jokes. However this intro was different and got the movie off to a great start. The film opens with some ridiculous stunts and action, before it is revealed that the intro is actually a scene from a fictional Austin Powers film existing within the series’ universe. Seeing what we think is Austin Powers engaged in such a legitimate action scene is itself a lot of fun, but the real treat is all of the cameos. Danny DeVitto’s Mini-Me is especially funny. However from there the film goes on to recycle all of the same gags from the last two films and it isn’t nearly as fresh. Admittedly, I did laugh at a lot of this stuff, but that says more about my own history watching this film as a kid than it does its own quality. 5. Scream I don’t particularly care for Scream. I don’t think it’s nearly as clever or as scary as it thinks it is and on the whole it’s no more sophisticated than the movies it mocks. I can however get behind the opening scene which is all kinds of awesome. We have a young woman (played by Drew Barrymore) home alone when she starts getting calls from a mysterious stranger. At first there is a sense of harmless flirtation, but the calls gradually become tenser. Next thing we know the voice is threatening the woman and it becomes quite clear he’s at the house too, and she’s in danger. This scene is what Scream should have been. It works at face value as a suspenseful and well-executed horror set-piece, and as a subtle commentary on the clichés of slasher films. Kudos as well for killing off the second-billed character in the opening scene. 4. House of 1000 Corpses I’m an outspoken fan of The Devil’s Rejects, but that film’s predecessor, House of 1000 Corpses is a confused mess which offers little outside of some weird violence and gross moments. It does however open on a pretty effective scene where we meet Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig), a local clown who runs a shop which triples as a cheap horror museum, a gas station, and a fried chicken joint. That very concept is a perfect way to represent the low rent, kitsch horror realm Rob Zombie is playing in. Two incompetent gunmen try to rob Spaulding, which leads to some great comedy from Sid Haig, punctuated by violence. It’s an ugly opening, but it also brings some laughs and is pretty fun. From here, the movie descends into unpleasantness and never really finds its way back.
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Post by Neverending on Mar 23, 2015 11:46:14 GMT -5
Now that I think about it, I did this list like 2 or 3 years ago and had Scream on it. The Leo DiCaprio Romeo & Juliet was my #1.
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Post by PG Cooper on Mar 23, 2015 16:13:30 GMT -5
If you can find your original list, please post it in your top ten thread. I'd be curious to see your choices.
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Post by Neverending on Mar 23, 2015 17:21:05 GMT -5
If you can find your original list, please post it in your top ten thread. I'd be curious to see your choices. It's gone along with the original CS!, but from what I recall, there was Scream and Saving Private Ryan and X2: X-Men United and the Leo DiCaprio version of Romeo and Juliet was #1. For Your Eyes Only, the James Bond movie, might have also been on the list. |
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Post by PG Cooper on Mar 24, 2015 18:22:34 GMT -5
3. Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult The Naked Gun films are only concerned with one thing; making you laugh as much as they can. Almost every shot is dedicated to multiple gags. However as a result, the films are only as good as their laughs. In the case of the first film, that works out fine because it is hilarious from beginning to end. By the time you get to the third entry however, it becomes problematic. The Final Insult has its moments, but a lot more jokes fall flat and rarely does it construct a truly gut bsutingly funny scene. I say rarely though because there is an exception and that is the opening sequence. Spoofing the train sequence from The Untouchables, the scene sees Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) and his crew attempting to bring down some mobsters while contending with several baby carriages and a mess of other problems. It’s a hilarious sequence which is perfectly built and brings a lot of laughs. A classic sequence that can stand strong with the best moments from the first film. 2. Moonraker The pre-credit Bond action scene is a tradition of the series and as such the filmmakers usually put forth their best effort. Even in the series’ worst entries, the intros are usually still good fun. No film captures this juxtaposition of great intro and shitty film better than Moonraker. After getting into a fight on an airplane, Bond is pushed out without a parachute. As the soundtrack alternates between the sound of wind and the James Bond theme, Bond freefalls toward a villain and struggles for his parachute. Shortly after, Jaws comes down to make sure Bond won’t survive. It’s an exhilarating sequence accomplished through some incredible camera work and stunts. Granted, the comedic ending with Jaws’ parachute failing is pretty fucking lame, but I really can’t deny how impressive the scene is from a practical level. The rest of the film? Well, it features the villainous Jaws falling in-love with a country girl and becoming a good guy, along with Bond going into space and firing laser guns. As you can guess, it’s not exactly one of my favourites. 1. 2010 This is easily the simplest opening sequence, but it’s very haunting and effective. The film opens on a black screen and we here a distorted voice: “Oh my God, it’s full of stars.” This line (incidentally my favourite from the novel 2001) alone conjures such a sense of wonder and perhaps fear of the unknown. Following that, a mission report is filled on screen describing the events of the first film, effectively reminding viewers of 2001 while clarifying what the characters of this film know about the Discovery’s voyage. This text is set against the backdrop of still images from the first film, while György Ligeti’s “Lux Aeterna” plays in the background. When the report is complete, the screen cuts to black and we yet again here, “Oh my God, it’s full of stars”. Like I said, this is a very simple opening, but there’s something very powerful and haunting about the proceedings. Unfortunately, the scene is the closest the movie comes to capturing the mystery and aura of 2001: A Space Odyssey. What follows is a much more normal plot that strives to clarify some of the ambiguities of Kubrick’s masterpiece before ending on a totally unambiguous and disappointing finale. Those first few minutes still give me shivers though.
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Post by Jibbs on Mar 24, 2015 18:26:37 GMT -5
Yeah, the opening to Naked Gun 3 is pretty awesome.
I get chills when the message from Titan arrives.
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Post by PG Cooper on Mar 24, 2015 18:30:46 GMT -5
I get chills when the message from Titan arrives. It's interesting, but two things irk me: 1.I don't like the conventional way the message is sent. It's logical, but not very mysterious or exciting. 2. The line "Use them together, Use them in peace" rubs me wrong. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2015 18:54:04 GMT -5
Dawn of the Dead was good.
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Post by Jibbs on Mar 24, 2015 18:58:29 GMT -5
I get chills when the message from Titan arrives. It's interesting, but two things irk me: 1.I don't like the conventional way the message is sent. It's logical, but not very mysterious or exciting. 2. The line "Use them together, Use them in peace" rubs me wrong. Remember this came out during the Cold War. As did the Abyss. |
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