Rorschach Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 We are all friends here. Friends fight but they eventually forgive one another. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blankments Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 Blank, I know you're mad, but don't turn this into a big huge argument that spirals out of control. Trust me. I don't want to see you guys getting into a heated discussion and end up never really talking to one another again. It'll be like iFunny all over again. It's not entirely Alpha's fault. Sometimes, personal ideas can seek through an artist's work. Alpha can take it. I did with Numbers' Expedecade review. And honestly, if these are all Alpha's personal ideas, that disturbs me on some level. That said, in about half an hour I'm going to put a review of my favorite movie of the quarter, just because I'm a swell guy 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 It's either Star Wars or Me & My Shadow, I think. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blankments Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 (edited) Also, after I write my full review, I'll post sentence reviews for the films people guessed I hated (provided it's not my favorite film) These are: Into the Dead 5 Centimeters Per Second Horror House 2 Epicer Chase Polybius Star Wars: Age of the Republic Portentous Dealings Dauntless Overdrive Train 38 Edited July 28, 2014 by Blankments 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blankments Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 Recently, I saw my first Park Chan-Wook film in real life, obviously being Snowpiercer. I really enjoyed the movie, thinking it was a fun original idea to set a sci-fi thriller on a train, and of course, the world-building and acting in that film was well done. I was most impressed with Chan-Wook's direction, so naturally, I got excited when I heard Spaghetti was making a Chan-Wook film. Said excitement kinda went down when I heard it was about a train? Seriously, Spaghetti? There's no way you're gonna beat Snowpiercer in quality; that movie was just too amazingly quirky. You're inviting way too much comparison if you're reusing his exact setting. As I read the film, my fears came true: Train 38 is not better than Snowpiercer. Fortunately, it matches Snowpiercer's quality, which is enough to make it the best film of the quarter. Chan-Wook manages to take the initial setting of Snowpiercer (and let's face it; the changing train is blatantly the Snowpiercer train itself at several points of the movie), but instead tell an exciting psychological thriller with it. The plot is full of twists and turns, and even though I wasn't a fan of the very ending, I loved the whole story besides that. Another match up with Snowpiercer, as I didn't enjoy the last minute of that Winslet gives an Oscar-worthy performance as the lead, perfectly portraying the paranoia Olivia goes through. (Maybe we'll have two Best Actress noms from the same weekend ) The supporting cast is fine, but I questioned who Oliver was; the advertised Tom Hardy character who is never actually in the film. I also appreciated Yona and Namgoongh making appearances. The direction is the true star here, as Chan-Wook knows exactly how to hold a shot and show fantastic cinematography. All in all, Train 38 was a fantastic movie, if a bit derivative of Snowpiercer at points. Fortunately, it does enough original stuff and has a master tier performance from Winslet to make you forget Snowpiercer and just enjoy the movie for itself. The best movie of the year so far. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 To be fair, I had the idea long before I saw Snowpiercer, but I'm really glad you liked it. :PI should have changed Hardys role though, if he had such a small part. I also personally like the allegory basis of the film. I'm not sure if you got it all, Blank, but I'd be happy to explain. :)Either way, this is unexpected and awesome, so thanks! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 (edited) Also, that wasn't Namgoongh, actually. It was the main character from Oldboy, another great Korean film from Park Can Wook.And Snowpiercer was directed by Bong John Ho, not Park. Park did produce it, though. Edited July 28, 2014 by 50 Shades of Spaghetti 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blankments Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 Oh, it was a character from Oldboy? Interesting. If you'd like to explain the allegory, you can. I enjoyed the film regardless 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blankments Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 Into the Dead - Although hard to understand at points, I thought this was a fun horror blockbuster. 8/10 5 Centimeters Per Second - I really enjoyed this romance actually. Very cute yet very real. 8/10 Horror House 2 - Awful in the best ways. 3/10 Epicer Chase - Empire, I'm so proud of you. 2/10 Polybius - Generic horror. Dull. 3/10 Star Wars: Age of the Republic - Numbers doing Star Wars was as amazing as expected. COPLEY! 8/10 Portentous Dealings - Very average. Not particularly bad, but not particularly good. 5/10 Dauntless - Awesome effects and a very cool story. I liked it a lot. 8/10 Overdrive - Funnest blockbuster of the year so far. I absolutely loved it. 9/10 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Empire Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 (edited) Epicer Chase - Empire, I'm so proud of you. 2/10Yes, it is going to be the epic bomb I want it to be. Either that or it will be so bad people will feel like they have to see it and it will make some money. Edited July 28, 2014 by Empire 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 The train is basically an allegory for life after death.The film implies near the end that Olivia died on the train because of her consumption of bad pills earlier in the film. (The film plays on the fact that there may have been a train crash, given Ji Youngs fears.)The train is what Olivia sees after she has died, and it is her last potential glimpse of life. Also notice that the train owner is named Peter. A bit like a certain saint.In trying to find a perfect understanding of the world around her, and the circumstances of her travel, she ends up becoming released from "purgatory" upon realizing the truth. She had the potential to stay on the train. For all of her life.The entire world was created based on her psychology and her experiences. She knew everyone she saw on the train, and the illusion was so effective, it took so long to realize she had died.Sorry if that's kind of a messy explanation, but it's what I had thought of. Funny how your most hated is a vehement attack on Evangelicals, while you favorite uses a bit of religious symbolism! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rorschach Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 8/10?! Yeah baby!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rorschach Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 (edited) Into the Dead - Although hard to understand at points, I thought this was a fun horror blockbuster. 9/10 oops didn't notice the nine. Edited July 28, 2014 by Rorschach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rorschach Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 So is it the worst CAYOM film you've ever read? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blankments Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 Spaghetti, that allegory actually makes me like it a lot more Top 5 of the quarter btw 5. 5 Centimeters Per Second 4. Star Wars: Age of the Republic 3. Dauntless 2. Overdrive 1. Train 38 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rorschach Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Dang it! Not even an honorable mention! Impossibruuuuuu!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rukaio101 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 (edited) I'll admit, I'm with you on this one, Blank. I've been to plenty of Christian camps in my life (although I'm agnostic now) and they're exactly like you described them. We only spent time talking about Jesus at morning/evening mass which were pretty short. The rest of the time it was just kids having fun doing sports, going swimming and generally messing around. They're definitely nothing The biggest problem with Kansas though is that nearly everybody is a Strawman. These aren't characters, these are the worst stereotypes about Christians exaggerated and given life. They have nothing to their character other than their devotion to horrible fundamentalist stereotypes. Which isn't even slightly true of real-life. Even the worst fundamentalist has times he's not thinking about or doing anything Jesus related. The only un-Strawman character in the thing is the radio announcer and a) he's not in the film much and b ) he's still used as a shill to support the separation of politics and religion (although I admit that is a viewpoint I support). Honestly, it feels like a propaganda film. Now I could possibly believe that maybe, in the most fundamentalist of areas, there might be a camp like that. Heck, you could explore how such a camp twists and mangles the true Christian message for its own ends.But the film fails to mention that a) such a camp would be in the minorist minority of christians and b ) most other Christians would condemn it. Instead, it makes it seem par for the course. Which, to put it bluntly, is wrong. Sorry to go off on a rant but I've been wanting to get that off my chest since I read Kansas. But I thought it best to let Blank go first. I probably should've put this in my own review thread, but ah well. Anyway, thanks for the great reviews for Dauntless and Overdrive. Glad you liked the latter so much. I've got to ask though, out of Log Horizon and Me & My Shadow, which did you prefer? Edited July 28, 2014 by Rukaio Alter 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rorschach Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Great analysis Ruk. I have yet to read the film but I'm afraid from what I've heard so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blankments Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 *high-fives Rukaio* I'm glad I wasn't alone in it. I'm seriously thinking of writing a response film in a way (like the White House Down to Kansas's Olympus Has Fallen.) There's definitely a great Christian camp CAYOM film out there, but Kansas sure isn't it. Anyway, thanks for the great reviews for Dauntless and Overdrive. Glad you liked the latter so much. I've got to ask though, out of Log Horizon and Me & My Shadow, which did you prefer? Wasn't huge fan of either to be honest. That said, Me and My Shadow was definitely preferred. I got bored reading Log Horizon actually... Sorry. Basically with this quarter, Rukaio, I either really liked your movies or gave them a resounding meh. Me and My Shadow - 7/10 Log Horizon - 5/10 I'm looking forward to Cybernetic 7 though! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rorschach Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 I promise you Blank, The Disappearance of Ashley, KANSAS movie, will be the much better than this Kansas movie. And a better Thriller for that matter. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
