top 50 films for the half decade; Kalo's list begins! (pg. 45)

[4815162342]

I'm actually shocked it makes your Top 50.

[Dementeleus]

I'm actually shocked it makes your Top 50.

 

Really?

[4815162342]

Really?

 

You've taken your fair share of jabs at it. Never seemed like it was near your Top 10-12 of a given year.

[Dementeleus]

You've taken your fair share of jabs at it. Never seemed like it was near your Top 10-12 of a given year.

 

Are you sure you're not thinking of someone else's posts? I haven't done a ton of raving about it, but I always seemed to be defending it.

 

I find it ridiculously entertaining, flaws and all.

[The Futurist]

#40: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

written and directed by: Christopher Nolan

 

 

Nolan’s Batfilms are often described as “dark and gritty” or intended to be “realistic”, but I think both those descriptions miss the point. They’re really operatic — operating on a utterly unrealistic but very-much-heightened sense of reality. Like opera, they’re about the big picture… if you look close and examine for realism, you’ll be disappointed, but that’s not really the intent. Like Nolan’s last several blockbuster movies, this feels like a 4-hour epic shoehorned into a much shorter length (with all the narrative shortcuts that implies), thematic depth is more or less limited to Big Ideas 101, and the movie basically bludgeons you into submission with 15/70 IMAX and Hans Zimmer’s score making your ears bleed. But TDKR is given a huge and welcome lift by two actors: Anne Hathaway as Catwoman and (more significantly) Tom Hardy as Bane, whose performance is basically the greatest Bond villain ever showing up in a Batman movie.

 

 

Now we know.

[The Futurist]

#43: The Raid 2: Berandal (2014)

written and directed by: Gareth Evans

 

 

The first RAID was a tense, claustrophobic movie that was nothing but action: hardly any backstory, hardly any character arcs. With the sequel, Gareth Evans went in the completely opposite direction: this is a huge, sprawling crime saga, with dozens of supporting characters, many with their own individual arcs, and a plot that’s labyrinthian. To top it all off, it tops the action in the first film in almost every way: bigger, more variety, different environments. It’s overlong and a little too convoluted for its own good, but the action… my god, the action. Puts every Hollywood blockbuster to shame.

 

 

Tele, your last sentence, if you really think about, it s kinda st00pid.

I ve seen the film and yes, the action sequences are out of this world but ...

[Dementeleus]

Tele, your last sentence, if you really think about, it s kinda st00pid.

I ve seen the film and yes, the action sequences are out of this world but ...

 

What do you specifically find stupid about my sentence? I stand by it. I'll take these scenes over an CG-fied, wire-rigged, digital stunt dummy scene any day, no matter how much money is dumped into it.

Edited February 7, 2015 by Telemachos

[Dementeleus]

#39: The Drop (2014)

written by: Dennis Lehane

directed by: Michael Roskam

 

 

This is one of those movies that doesn’t reinvent a genre, it’s just a really well-made, well-acted film that’s comfortable with what it is. Tom Hardy is Bob, a bartender at James Gandolfini’s bar — a “money drop” location for crime syndicates. Bob’s trying to stay straight and mind his own business (and life), but he steadily gets more and more involved with an investigation into a robbery at the bar… which threatens his life and those he cares about.

 

 

[Ozymandias]

Tele needs to see John Wick.

 

And bravo for mentioning the THE DROP.

[Dementeleus]

Tele needs to see John Wick.

 

And bravo for mentioning the THE DROP.

 

I do, I'm looking forward to it.

[Jessie]

Tele also needs to mention warrior. If you like tom hardy movies and enjoyed the fighter, then surely you love warrior lol.

[Dementeleus]

Tele also needs to mention warrior. If you like tom hardy movies and enjoyed the fighter, then surely you love warrior lol.

 

I did like WARRIOR... it didn't quite make my top 50, though.

[Dementeleus]

#38: Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

written and directed by: Wes Anderson

 

 

Wes Anderson movies have a tendency to brush right up against the line of being too insular, self-absorbed and twee. In recent years, they’ve sadly fallen over the line. MOONRISE KINGDOM, though, is a wry, charming, and delightful story about two kids who view themselves as outcasts, and take action to avoid a life of utter tedium.

 

[The Futurist]

What do you specifically find stupid about my sentence? I stand by it. I'll take these scenes over an CG-fied, wire-rigged, digital stunt dummy scene any day, no matter how much money is dumped into it.

 

I get that but comparing the two makes absolutely no sense to me.

 

The action of Raid 2 is possible for very specific reasons :

 

- all the guys involved on those fights are fighters, athletes, very skilled stuntmen that use a martial art (the name escapes me now) the director fell in love when he was in Indonesia. So the choreographies are highly complex and visual and the artistry of these guys allows long takes which are always more spectacular that cut cut cut Hollywood action scenes.

They are no actors, heck, I ve read a lot reviews complaining about how the main character is dull acting wise. There is no actor in Hollywood that has 1/100 of the skills these guys have. Maybe Keanu Reeves and co had a good martial art level when they did the matrix movies but that s it.

It s just not fair, the shit those guys do in Raid 2 is unbelievable, their bodies doesn't work like ours, some of the stunts scared me when their faces break into walls, windows, tables, it looks so dangerous,real and violent.

Even the best Hollywood stuntsmen ( I am not even talking actors anymore) wouldn't be able to pull off the things we see in this film.

 

- the violence. Seriously, this is the most violent,relentless action movie I ve ever seen since I don't know, Verheoven 's Total recall ? Let s face it, there is no studio in Hollywood that would release such a violent movie on 3500 screens.

This movie invents so many ways to kill a person without a gun it s crazy. The movie is incredibly violent, no details are spared to us. The movie is quite gory and bloody.

Let s face it, the level of violence makes the action more visceral, you can almost feel the pain with each punch or blade, knife blow. Skin is lacerated, heads explode etc etc

The level of violence in this movie definitely plays a big part on how you experience this movie. I remember being a bit exhausted at the end because there was so much of everything ...

 

- the only action sequence that can be compared to Hollywood blockbusters is the car chase scene that is batshit crazy and inventive and yes, it beats Hollywood here, no question even if it s not the scale of Terminator 2 for example, it doesn't have that epic feel that Hollywood blockbusters have.

 

- And yes, as a director, Evans uses his athletes with incredible fighting sequences that are so elaborated, complex, creative and amazing. No doubt about it, the guy is a genius in this game. Each fight is a sight to behold, my favourite being the train sequence with hammer girl.

But each action sequence is a master class, no doubt.

 

Ok, you have perfectly the right to prefer Raid 2 style of action but it has basically very little to do with current big action, CGI heavy set pieces.

Me, I like and I am impressed by both.

 

Sorry for the long rant.

 

Edited February 7, 2015 by The Futurist

[Dementeleus]

I get that but comparing the two makes absolutely no sense to me.

 

The action of Raid 2 is possible for very specific reasons :

 

- all the guys involved on those fights are fighters, athletes, very skilled stuntmen that use a martial art (the name escapes me now) the director fell in love when he was in Indonesia. So the choreographies are highly complex and visual and the artistry of these guys allow long takes which are always more spectacular that cut cut cut Hollywood action scenes.

They are no actors, heck, I ve read a lot reviews complaining about how the main character is dull acting wise. There is no actor in Hollywood that has 1/100 of the skills these guys have. Maybe Keanu Reeves and co had a good martial art level when they did the matrix movies but that s it.

It s just not fair, the shit those guys do in Raid 2 is unbelievable, their bodies doesn't work like ours, some of the stunts scared me when their faces break into walls, windows, tables, it looks so dangerous,real and violent.

Even the best Hollywood stuntsmen ( I am not even talking actors anymore) wouldn't be able to pull off the things we see in this film.

 

- the violence. Seriously, this is the most violent action movie I ve ever seen since I don't know, Verheoven 's Total recall ? Let s face it, there is no studio in Hollywood that would release such a violent movie on 3500 screens.

This movie invents so many ways to kill a person without a gun it s crazy. The movie is incredibly violent, no details are spared to us. The movie is quite gory and bloody.

Let s face it, the level of violence makes the action more visceral, you can almost feel the pain with each punch or blade, knife blow. Skin is lacerated, heads explode etc etc

The level of violence in this movie definitely plays a big part on how you experience this movie. I remember being a bit exhausted at the end because there was so much of everything ...

 

- the only action sequence that can be compared to Hollywood blockbusters is the car chase scene that is batshit crazy and inventive and yes, it beats Hollywood here, no question even if it s not the scale of Terminator 2 for example, it doesn't have that epic feel that Hollywood blockbusters have.

 

- And yes, as a director, Evans uses his athletes with incredible fighting sequences that are so elaborated, complex, creative and amazing. No doubt about it, the guy is a genius in this game. Each fight is a sight to behold, my favourite being the train sequence with roller girl.

But each action sequence is a master class, no doubt.

 

Ok, you have perfectly the right to prefer Raid 2 style of action but it has basically very little to do with current big action, CGI heavy set pieces.

Me, I like and I am impressed by both.

 

Sorry gor the long rant.

 

 

None of what you say is wrong... but 99% percent of Hollywood movies don't have Evans' sense of framing, camera placement, willingness to linger on a shot to allow you to appreciate what's going on, etc. Sure, someone like Cameron or Michael Mann or Spielberg has the chops to pull off a great (albeit different) sequence, but it's pretty rare these days.

[The Futurist]

None of what you say is wrong... but 99% percent of Hollywood movies don't have Evans' sense of framing, camera placement, willingness to linger on a shot to allow you to appreciate what's going on, etc. Sure, someone like Cameron or Michael Mann or Spielberg has the chops to pull off a great (albeit different) sequence, but it's pretty rare these days.

 

I said it, Evans is brilliant in his directing, the fact that he had those highly complex scenes in his head gives me a headache because they are so perfectly captured and choregraphed but I insist, without those incredible fighters and that very unique martial art, he would have less to work with, less possiblities, less ways to amaze us.

 

We ll see how Evans does action in a blockbuster setting, he s doing the Star Wars spin off right ?

I don't expect Mrs Hawking to suddenly pull off 1% of what hammer girl does in Raid 2 even with a good stunt double...

[Dementeleus]

I said it, Evans is brilliant in his directing, the fact that he had those highly complex scenes in his head gives me a headache because they are so perfectly captured and choregraphed but I insist, without those incredible fighters and that very unique martial art, he would have less to work with, less possiblities, less ways to amaze us.

 

We ll see how Evans does action in a blockbuster setting, he s doing the Star Wars spin off right ?

I don't expect Mrs Hawking to suddenly pull off 1% of what hammer girl does in Raid 2 even with a good stunt double...

 

No, that's the other Gareth... Gareth Edwards.

 

Of course Evans has the benefits of trained incredible fighters. And Hollywood has the benefit of money. I don't really care where or how things are created, but there's a tactile and visceral kineticism that comes from using real people, real environments, real cars, etc -- and (unfortunately) most of that hasn't been utilized by Hollywood lately.

 

Surely by now you know I enjoy all sorts of action scenes, but the hugely artificial way most tentpoles approach it nowadays feels me (usually) uninterested.

[Ozymandias]

I'll go ahead and make the bold obvious statement that The Raid and The Raid 2 have way better choreographed and edited action than any mainstream Hollywood action movie in the last 30 years.  The closest action to The Raid movies we're gonna get out of Hollywood are gonna come from the John Wick sequels.  Keanu Reeves is back bitches.

Edited February 7, 2015 by Ozymandias

[The Futurist]

No, that's the other Gareth... Gareth Edwards.

 

Of course Evans has the benefits of trained incredible fighters. And Hollywood has the benefit of money. I don't really care where or how things are created, but there's a tactile and visceral kineticism that comes from using real people, real environments, real cars, etc -- and (unfortunately) most of that hasn't been utilized by Hollywood lately.

 

Surely by now you know I enjoy all sorts of action scenes, but the hugely artificial way most tentpoles approach it nowadays feels me (usually) uninterested.

 

Yeah, I knew there were two Gareths , I was not sure ...

 

Found it :  Pencak_Silat

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pencak_Silat

 

According to his wikipedia page, Evans is not doing a Hollywood joint but Raid 3 is scheduled for 2016.

More madness !!!

Edited February 7, 2015 by The Futurist

[Ethan Hunt]

I was gonna rant about the inclusion of Looper, but then you followed it up with The Dark Knight Rises so I can definitely live with that.