Recommend a movie

[The Dark Knight]

I watched The Blues Brothers (Extended Edition) again recently, and this film is such a huge part of my childhood and therefore my soul. The absurdity and farce of it is genius, particularly in surviving ridiculous situations and carrying on as if it's commonplace.

As a youngster Jake and Elwood were the coolest dudes to me because nothing phases them. They're from a poor background but they're confident and capable. They're individuals who do their own thing and are so focused on their goal, which they do achieve. I think Elwood could outrun anything, and if he had access to a car and wasn't arrested, he still would've had a good chance of escaping the comical amount of police cars and helicopters.

It's just a fun time and I don't think there's a weak segment. It has stood the test of time. I've always felt it to be in the spirit of Quentin Tarantino. Funny dialogue and scenarios with great music.

They don't make them like this anymore.

[Gotham Knight]

For your consideration. .

[Silver Nemesis]

I didn't think it was worth creating a separate thread for this, but I just recently watched the nineties Heisei Gamera trilogy for the first time and I wanted to comment on it. I'd only previously seen one or two of the older Gamera films from the sixties, which were fun but not terribly impressive, so I had low expectations going into this. But I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by just how good all three of the nineties Gamera movies are. This is one of the most overlooked sci-fi movie trilogies out there, and it boasts a consistency of quality that's seldom found in the genre. All three films were directed by Shusuke Kaneko, who later went on to direct Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001).

The first movie, Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995), is a hard reboot, so you don't need to worry about seeing the earlier films. Gamera is reintroduced for a new generation, along with an updated version of his old foe Gyaos. The central plot and human drama elements are surprisingly strong for a kaiju film, and I suspect the storyline may have influenced both the 1998 and 2014 American Godzilla films, as similar plot points are echoed in both. I also think Gamera '95 might in turn have been influenced by Q – The Winged Serpent (1982) and Jurassic Park (1993). All three films in the Gamera trilogy have strong narratives and each tells a sufficiently different story from the rest while at the same time adhering to the classic monster movie formula that fans expect. The first film introduces several characters who appear in the sequels, with the most notable being Asagi played by Ayako Fujitani, who in real life is the daughter of Steven Seagal! I've also got to mention that awesome catchy song that plays on the end credits.

Having been taken off guard by the quality of the first Gamera film, I was expecting the second to be a step down. Thankfully I was wrong. Gamera II: Attack of Legion (1996) is a very worthy sequel, taking a darker turn that draws influence from films like Aliens (1986) and Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995); failing to match the quality of the former, but comfortably surpassing the latter IMO. The scenes of the Legion monsters (which resemble the Arachnids from Starship Troopers (1997)) slaughtering passengers on the Sapporo underground are straight out of a horror movie, and the wintery setting further amplifies the bleak atmosphere to make this a more sombre experience than its predecessor. The human drama element isn't as strong as in the other two films of the trilogy, but the pervading sense of horror and panic evoked by the Legion's attacks goes some way towards compensating for that. The special effects are some of the best I've ever seen in a kaiju film, and the destructive spectacle of the battle scenes rivals that of Independence Day (which came out the same year), even though Gamera II was made on a much smaller budget.

The concluding entry in the trilogy, Gamera III: Revenge of Iris (1999), amps up the human drama element by presenting a monster that is emotionally fused to a teenage girl whose family was accidentally killed by Gamera during the events of the first film. The story touches on some of the same moral accountability themes as Batman v Superman and Captain America: Civil War, with the public questioning the agency of a hero in light of the collateral damage that's resulted from his battles. While the second film is the darkest visually, the third is the darkest from an emotional and thematic standpoint. It brings back several characters from the first film in such a way that ties the trilogy together as a whole. The special effects incorporate more CG than the previous two films, some of which inevitably looks dated. But overall the effects and sound design are just as impressive as the first two films, and the final battle in Kyoto Station (which I visited back in 2007) ends the trilogy on a suitably epic note.

Just to be clear, none of these movies individually is a great film. But each is a good movie in its own right, and collectively they form a very satisfying and consistent trilogy that represents a high point for the kaiju genre. Even if you're not normally a fan of kaiju movies, I still recommend checking these out simply because they form a solid sci-fi action trilogy that's better than 99% of the rubbish being pumped out of modern Hollywood. The entire trilogy is available on Amazon Prime, so give it a watch if you haven't already.

Looking back on it now, the nineties in general was a superb decade for Japanese cinema. Akira Kurosawa capped off his career with Dreams (1990) and Rhapsody in August (1991), both of which are criminally underrated in my opinion. Takeshi Kitano hit his directorial stride with films like Sonatine (1993), Hana-bi (1997) and Kikujiro (1999). The kaiju Heisei era gave us the Gamera trilogy and Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991), and a new wave of J-horror commenced with Cure (1997), Ringu (1998) and Audition (1999). Hayao Miyazaki directed Porco Rosso (1992) and Princess Mononoke (1997), and Studio Ghibli also produced Only Yesterday (1991) and Whisper of the Heart (1995). Then there were all the adult anime films like Ninja Scroll (1993), Ghost in the Shell (1995) and Perfect Blue (1997). The forties, fifties and sixties represented the golden age of Japanese cinema, but the nineties was also a very respectable decade for the industry.

[The Dark Knight]

I didn't see an appropriate thread and didn't want to start another, so I'm posting this here. A trailer for an upcoming project, The Beatles: Get Back, which I would recommend people see in any case.

I was smiling the whole time. To see this new footage is amazing and it looks like it could've been filmed last week, rather than 50 years ago. It's crazy the footage has been sitting there the whole time, untouched until now, similar to the recent Michael Jordan documentary 'The Last Dance' which enthralled the world. Just seeing them interact in their place of work, right near the end of their time together as a band, will be special to see. That dynamic is what created the magic.

Peter Jackson is a big fan and I have faith in him to deliver a strong final edit. The Beatles deserve a proper studio movie like this, and while the original Let It Be film has its place, this can be more expansive and more of a celebration. Really looking forward to it.

colors- "Smile? How is watching Beatles footage supposed to make anyone smile?"
*John and Ringo ventriloquist-sing their way through "Two Of Us"*
colors- *smiles*

New trailer. Amazing. It's going to be three parts, six hours in all.

[The Laughing Fish]

Michael Mann's Heat is a great crime drama for the way it explores the opposite sides of the law and how their private lives are impacted by what they do. Sounds straightforward, but it's very effective. Surprisingly, Heat is a remake of a TV movie that Mann made back in 1989 called LA Takedown. What's not so surprising is the original pales in comparison with the remake in every way thanks to its low budget, but I recommend to check it out for comparison's sake. You can even watch it for free on YouTube.

If you don't want to, you can check out this featurette of Mann describing the experience in making both movies.

I read Mann had envisioned to conceive LA Takedown as a TV show, similar to what he had already done for Miami Vice, but faced pushback by NBC. But I'm not sure LA Takedown as a show would've fared better, because NBC didn't sound very supportive.

I gotta say, LA Takedown's version of Vincent Hannah - Scott Plank - reminds me of Ben Affleck.

[thecolorsblend]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vietnam_War_(TV_series)

I finished up The Vietnam War, the documentary series by Ken Burns a few days ago.

As background, I've been in a sort of Vietnam-related mood lately. I don't fully understand it. But I've been watching a lot of Vietnam war-related movies and shows. I've also been reading a lot of Garth Ennis Punisher comics because the Ennis Punisher is a Vietnam vet. So, my point is I've definitely been in that mindset lately.

Anyway, the doc is amazing. It's everything you heard about. It's basically a chronological examination of the wars in Vietnam (and America's war, specifically), starting in the nineteenth century ​and going right on through to the American withdrawal in 1975.

One thing that became clearer to me while watching the doc was my long held suspicion that America's war in Vietnam was imminently winnable, at least from a military perspective. The political ramifications were something else, of course. But we had the money, manpower, firepower and (for a while) DRIVE to do it. If America had pushed it all the way back in 1966 or 1967, communism in Vietnam would've died in the crib.

Would've, should've, could've. Obviously, that's not how things worked out.

Anyway. My point is this bad boy is definitely worth watching. Even so, it's ten "episodes" long and each one ranges from an hour and twenty minutes to nearly two hours. So, do the math. You need to set aside quite a bit of time to watch this thing. But I say it's worth it. Definitely recommended.

[The Laughing Fish]

Four years ago, Zack Snyder directed a short film called Snow Steam Iron, months after leaving JL. Incredibly, he shot everything using an iPhone.

It looks much more cinematic than any of the Josstice League reshoots.

***WARNING: NSFW***

[The Dark Knight]

Get Back is incredible and it could be my favorite movie. I love how you see things unfold naturally, with the guys just being themselves. If such a project was made today it would all be planned out and the songs already written, with a pretence of authenticity. But the guys just had the balls to make something happen in the studio from sheer inspiration and confidence in their ability.

Billy Preston is amazing in this. He would've fit in as a fifth member pretty seamlessly. His playing on Don't Let Me Down is sublime. I've known all the stories about this time period but it's something else to see it play out over six hours in pristine quality. Just look at Billy go here, and John's voice is just the best. Such raw emotion and grit. Lots of moments of wit from him too - I dig how you can tell he's out of it at times, but when it's time to really get down to business, his genius is there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=385eTo76OzA&list=RDMMWr-mY6qrvx4&index=3

[thecolorsblend]

Get Back is incredible and it could be my favorite movie. I love how you see things unfold naturally, with the guys just being themselves. If such a project was made today it would all be planned out and the songs already written, with a pretence of authenticity. But the guys just had the balls to make something happen in the studio from sheer inspiration and confidence in their ability.

Billy Preston is amazing in this. He would've fit in as a fifth member pretty seamlessly. His playing on Don't Let Me Down is sublime. I've known all the stories about this time period but it's something else to see it play out over six hours in pristine quality. Just look at Billy go here, and John's voice is just the best. Such raw emotion and grit. Lots of moments of wit from him too - I dig how you can tell he's out of it at times, but when it's time to really get down to business, his genius is there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=385eTo76OzA&list=RDMMWr-mY6qrvx4&index=3

I can't prove it, but I've always assumed that if the Beatles had continued, keeping Billy Preston around would've allowed the band to fit in with the musical trends of the early and mid Seventies pretty easily.

What a strange fate to be Billy Preston. One day, the Beatles call up and say they want you to sit in on one of their albums. Not just one or two songs either. An entire album. For now, put aside how weird the Get Back sessions ultimately became and just consider what even being there must've meant to Preston. Or what it would've meant to anybody.

[The Dark Knight]

Get Back is incredible and it could be my favorite movie. I love how you see things unfold naturally, with the guys just being themselves. If such a project was made today it would all be planned out and the songs already written, with a pretence of authenticity. But the guys just had the balls to make something happen in the studio from sheer inspiration and confidence in their ability.

Billy Preston is amazing in this. He would've fit in as a fifth member pretty seamlessly. His playing on Don't Let Me Down is sublime. I've known all the stories about this time period but it's something else to see it play out over six hours in pristine quality. Just look at Billy go here, and John's voice is just the best. Such raw emotion and grit. Lots of moments of wit from him too - I dig how you can tell he's out of it at times, but when it's time to really get down to business, his genius is there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=385eTo76OzA&list=RDMMWr-mY6qrvx4&index=3

I can't prove it, but I've always assumed that if the Beatles had continued, keeping Billy Preston around would've allowed the band to fit in with the musical trends of the early and mid Seventies pretty easily.

What a strange fate to be Billy Preston. One day, the Beatles call up and say they want you to sit in on one of their albums. Not just one or two songs either. An entire album. For now, put aside how weird the Get Back sessions ultimately became and just consider what even being there must've meant to Preston. Or what it would've meant to anybody.

Billy was the finishing touch for these sessions. He spoke about his first meeting with the Beatles and the Get Back sessions during a July 1996 event, which gives a good perspective on things after much time had passed. He had demons during the last years of his life, but I choose to remember the man at his best. The sessions were clearly a big part of his life, and no matter how things ended for him, I'm glad that bright spark is front and centre again.

I think if the four guys had a break, got their solo albums out of their systems (Plastic Ono Band and Imagine are undoubtedly John's best, even though I like them all), and regrouped afterwards, I could've seen them making more albums together throughout the 1970s. With Billy. I think he had the right temperament to be a member: easy going, musical ability and making the dynamic different enough to keep the others interested.

But honestly, breaking up was the best possible thing for their legacy. They were preserved as a perfect encapsulation of their time period. Robert Wuhl has said the same thing, and he's right. It gave them a mystique.