District 9

[sidownes]

saw trailer at cinema last night. Looks GOOD. 2 weeks til UK release

[DrXparaMental]

saw trailer at cinema last night. Looks GOOD. 2 weeks til UK release

I wonder why that is.

[Machinesworking]

I agree 100% except I wouldn't be as generous about Starship Troopers which IMO was basically "Friends" or 90210 in space.

Yeah it wasn't deep, but the thing is it's easy to write off a movie like that if you're not big on the military, or the archetypes the military around the world espouses to give itself a sense of honor and glory. Henry V was a much better example of this for sure. I like the edit of that movie though, the plot was throw away, but the edit was as well paced as Robocop, which is what IMO an action type movie should be like. Think Hard Boiled, and all other action movies pale in comparison.

The absolute worst trend in surreal tension movies is the novelty approach. Like for instance what the Blair Witch project started with the movie being seen through the cam corder.

It did work well for that movie though. My only gripe with that movie was I had no real care for the main girl, her being in danger had no punch because IMO she was an annoying loudmouth.

Although it will be no LOTR, Jackson doesn't make "bad" movies. There is always something there to like even though Meet The Feebles was definitely pushing it.

Meet the Feebles was brilliant! I saw it when it came out in the theatre; how can you go wrong with junkie hooker muppets? I love his early work, pretty much all of it, Dead Alive and Heavenly Creatures especially. It's crazy to see him make it big, give you a little hope that there's one or two people at these movie companies that aren't total morons.

[Android Bishop]

I agree 100% except I wouldn't be as generous about Starship Troopers which IMO was basically "Friends" or 90210 in space.

Yeah it wasn't deep, but the thing is it's easy to write off a movie like that if you're not big on the military, or the archetypes the military around the world espouses to give itself a sense of honor and glory. Henry V was a much better example of this for sure. I like the edit of that movie though, the plot was throw away, but the edit was as well paced as Robocop, which is what IMO an action type movie should be like. Think Hard Boiled, and all other action movies pale in comparison.

I'm pretty sure starship troopers is supposed to be a satire of all that shit to begin with. Its a commentary on fascism.

[Machinesworking]

I agree 100% except I wouldn't be as generous about Starship Troopers which IMO was basically "Friends" or 90210 in space.

Yeah it wasn't deep, but the thing is it's easy to write off a movie like that if you're not big on the military, or the archetypes the military around the world espouses to give itself a sense of honor and glory. Henry V was a much better example of this for sure. I like the edit of that movie though, the plot was throw away, but the edit was as well paced as Robocop, which is what IMO an action type movie should be like. Think Hard Boiled, and all other action movies pale in comparison.

I'm pretty sure starship troopers is supposed to be a satire of all that shit to begin with. Its a commentary on fascism.

Maybe, or it's a send up of the finer elements of fascism. It's not the end of the world to look at the 'glory' of that world view. 300 was definitely a fascist ideal for instance. Movies can and do explore the elements of right wing thinking in various genres, but it comes up most in action flicks.

Most artists are left though, so most films are left leaning, not actually left, but almost. When Homage to Catalonia is filmed with half the budget of Saving Private Ryan then I'll think otherwise.

[DrXparaMental]

Meet the Feebles was brilliant! I saw it when it came out in the theatre; how can you go wrong with junkie hooker muppets? I love his early work, pretty much all of it, Dead Alive and Heavenly Creatures especially. It's crazy to see him make it big, give you a little hope that there's one or two people at these movie companies that aren't total morons.

Yep, we're right there together on this one. Jackson is beyond BRILLIANT. I am still blown away by the fact that he did LOTR. Not so much because they were such incredible world class films, because he assuredly has that kind of talent, but rather out of my sheer praise for a unique signature director/film maker that brought us stuff so different in the context of Dead Alive and Bad Taste.

Another amazing director that runs in some ways very parallel to Jackson is Cronenberg. His films are some of the most bizarre, powerful and compelling ever made, but he can do a much less surreal "straight" film amazingly well too.

[DrXparaMental]

I agree 100% except I wouldn't be as generous about Starship Troopers which IMO was basically "Friends" or 90210 in space.

Yeah it wasn't deep, but the thing is it's easy to write off a movie like that if you're not big on the military, or the archetypes the military around the world espouses to give itself a sense of honor and glory. Henry V was a much better example of this for sure. I like the edit of that movie though, the plot was throw away, but the edit was as well paced as Robocop, which is what IMO an action type movie should be like. Think Hard Boiled, and all other action movies pale in comparison.

I'm pretty sure starship troopers is supposed to be a satire of all that shit to begin with. Its a commentary on fascism.

Really...that or it's fairly bright of you to take it like that. Interesting, I guess I just didn't "see" the intentional darkness within the film to inspire that type of allegorical cross section. Nonetheless, I appreciate the insight.

[nuperspective]

"jackson doesnt make a bad movie" wtf - did anybody watch king kong?? im sure his next movie tintin will be a load of bollocks to.

anyway jackson only produced district 9. blomkamp deserves the credit. jackson saw his original short movie "alive in joburg" and decided to give him the cash for a big screen version.

[Machinesworking]

Another amazing director that runs in some ways very parallel to Jackson is Cronenberg. His films are some of the most bizarre, powerful and compelling ever made, but he can do a much less surreal "straight" film amazingly well too.

Cronenburg makes cool films. He's a special case. Dead Ringers was at least as good if not better than the book, but Crash was a disaster compared. I'm not surprised though, not because he's not a good director, but because the book relies heavily on inner dialog and the writers style to get the point across far too well. Just don't tell me you think Tim Burton is a genius, and if you can admit he just has great taste in set design but can't direct worth a shit, then we're on the same page pretty much movie wise.

[PLacidBasilisk]

Agreed. Cronenberg is a genius who seems to be getting better as time goes on, at least judging by his last two films. And the fact that Peter Jackson produced the film isn't that important in my opinion... Tarantino produced Hostel and that is one of the worst excuses for a movie I've seen in a while. But then one could argue Tarantino lost it after Jackie Brown.

[DrXparaMental]

Another amazing director that runs in some ways very parallel to Jackson is Cronenberg. His films are some of the most bizarre, powerful and compelling ever made, but he can do a much less surreal "straight" film amazingly well too.

Cronenburg makes cool films. He's a special case. Dead Ringers was at least as good if not better than the book, but Crash was a disaster compared. I'm not surprised though, not because he's not a good director, but because the book relies heavily on inner dialog and the writers style to get the point across far too well. Just don't tell me you think Tim Burton is a genius, and if you can admit he just has great taste in set design but can't direct worth a shit, then we're on the same page pretty much movie wise.

When it comes to films, I just watch them to escape. I'm really not that in touch with the exact details and such, so I'll admit there is a big bunch of ignorance there. For instance, now that I think about it I remember seeing in the previews for District 9 that Jackson was "producing" it. If the poster before your response hadn't reminded me, I would have thought he was directing it. BTW, I didn't think Kong was that bad at all. What's even worse, I didn't know Jackson directed it!

Neb had a thread a little while ago and I brought up the ravine scene in King Kong. That's classic IMO.

Burton: Does he do the actual animation for his "Corpse's Bride/Nightmare Before Christmas stuff? If he does, oh yeah, in my book he certainly qualifies for genius. You're right about the sets. His choice of colors is mesmerizing. Fantastic and impressive as hell use of the color blue.

As far as his actual movies are concerned, the only one other than Scissorhands that ever did anything for me was Big Fish (I think that's the name) I liked that movie in a sort of delusional way, but wouldn't watch it again. Not for another 10 years or so.

Who was it in this thread that was talking about "right wing". That was kind of cool. It might have been you, but I am honestly not sure. That's a cool perspective. It seems overtly simplistic at first, but the implications go miles. Both sides of the fence have their far share of extremes by which all manner of allegory can be derived and expressed.

You want to see (you may already have) one the most powerful and exposing sides of the right wing imaginable? The inescapable human effect of absolute judicial altruism. That last sentence may be a bunch of bullshit but I believe it states what I mean.

See the film with Burt Lancaster called The Lawman. That is without question one the most powerful movies I have ever seen. The moral or the "social commentary" within is akin to getting hit across the puss unexpectedly with the broad side of a 2X4. It's about the sensory price of impartiality.

[Android Bishop]

I'm pretty sure starship troopers is supposed to be a satire of all that shit to begin with. Its a commentary on fascism.

Really...that or it's fairly bright of you to take it like that. Interesting, I guess I just didn't "see" the intentional darkness within the film to inspire that type of allegorical cross section. Nonetheless, I appreciate the insight.

Watch it again with that in mind. it makes a lot more sense from that perspective. The whole citizenship thing, military culture, propaganda laden news stories, etc. Also, you'll notice that humans are actually the villains in the movie.

[knotkranky]

"Team America" puts that in perspective even better.

[DrXparaMental]

I'm pretty sure starship troopers is supposed to be a satire of all that shit to begin with. Its a commentary on fascism.

Really...that or it's fairly bright of you to take it like that. Interesting, I guess I just didn't "see" the intentional darkness within the film to inspire that type of allegorical cross section. Nonetheless, I appreciate the insight.

Watch it again with that in mind. it makes a lot more sense from that perspective. The whole citizenship thing, military culture, propaganda laden news stories, etc. Also, you'll notice that humans are actually the villains in the movie.

Knotkranky & Android Bishop
You know what bums me out the most about the whole joke? The USA could have REALLY been something truly amazing. Instead of forwarding the ever predictable notion of limitless team sports, along with the usual unquenchable thirst for more of everything, we could have concentrated on just "being our best" first. Allowing the rest to follow in it's own time. The worldwide butterfly effect alone would have been 10,000 times more effective than every war we have ever wasted out time, energy and lives within.

The notions of Capitalism & Democracy do not jibe philosophically or in practice. Any house so divided against itself, in as many abstract and diverse ways as is imaginable where all causes aim for the same canceling/winning results, can hardly hope to stand.

[bossyandrew]

Wowo~~!
Really cool!!
In a word.