Originally posted by Rank outsiderThe British Film Institute here in London seems to have some kind of technology that blocks the signals of people's mobile phones when the enter the cinema. It's rather clever!
And no announcements to turn off your mobile phone (unnecessary).
Originally posted by Rank outsiderI don't mind some of the stuff, but most of it is mindless sequels, remakes of cinema length TV shows, awful dialogue full of ugliness, invective, crassness, needless drama, dumbed down ideas, vocabulary for grammar school level IQ's and implausible plots, awful acting and the list goes on and on. A poster below feels that great cinema was made between 1920-1980 then ceased. I tend to agree with notable exceptions. I prefer not to waste my time with the current garbage. I hear more intelligent dialogue from announcers in EPL games than in the overwhelming majority of movies! And of course there is awful stuff from my preferred era as well, but I don't waste my time on that either, but these days you can't trust the films, the reviewers, the press and anyone who does movie commentary.
Yes, there is a lot of dross out there. But there is also more new good stuff out there than you can easily watch in a year.
And I suspect more good stuff that you could have seen at most other times in history. (My parents happily admit that cinema in their youth was also full of the most awful pap back in their days.)
The difficulty is not th ...[text shortened]... . And no announcements to turn off your mobile phone (unnecessary).
Tickets £8.
Bliss.
I have thus shifted my attention to great music, reading and volunteer work. Give me any opera any day over any recent movie, even the "new classics"!
There is such a huge film production nowadays, you can choose the ones you really like and forget about the rest. I have always enjoyed movies, and I easily identify with the characters if they are believable. What I especially like about new films is the way the music is composed to suit the story - it's not just something in the background, it is made by great film composers who know how to build a story in music - Ennio Morricone (The Mission, The Untouchables) , Nino Rota (The Godfather trilogy) and many others.
Originally posted by lolofMorricone, much as I love him, is no Korngold. The Mission music is a masterwork, however. The initial crop of sound era movie music writers were straight of the Wagner camp and were masters of their trade. I don't find almost any believable characters these days. Imagine a remake of To Kill A Mockingbird. Who could be cast and pull off an Atticus Finch like the original? That is one movie I hope never gets remade. I think Hollywood got infected with the John Cage virus and started believing the public is stupid enough to buy any schlock they put out. I have watched the same movie remade by Hollywood first shot by any number of European countries and find the European product of much better quality. Take for example Wings of Desire, originally in German with Bruno Ganz. Hollywood remakes it with Nicolas Cage. Unbearable! How could a perfectly decent film be destroyed to the extent they did? Strange this Hollywood!
There is such a huge film production nowadays, you can choose the ones you really like and forget about the rest. I have always enjoyed movies, and I easily identify with the characters if they are believable. What I especially like about new films is the way the music is composed to suit the story - it's not just something in the background, it is made by gre ...[text shortened]... Morricone (The Mission, The Untouchables) , Nino Rota (The Godfather trilogy) and many others.
Originally posted by Rank outsiderWell good for you! You should pick up a book instead and make special effects in your head!
I was going to see The Hunt next week, if only to see one of these new fangled talkies before people tire of this type of gimmick.
But as nothing good has been made post 1980, I don't think I'll bother now.
😉
Originally posted by scacchipazzoI'm not sure The Hunt will be featuring much CGI......
Well good for you! You should pick up a book instead and make special effects in your head!
But your suggestion is a good one, as I have always meant to read a book some day. When did they stop writing good novels, out of interest?
🙂
Still waiting for your Desert Island Discs, by the way.
Originally posted by Rank outsiderI meant the book the movie may be based on. Always more enjoyable than any film I've ever watched even from the movie era I like. Desert Island Discs? Depends on taste. Same as with movies. You watch what you like. I don't watch at all hardly and voila! To each his own. You're not wrong, I'm not right and vice versa. Perhaps too much hay is made over my not liking the overwhelming majority of today's films. So what? Perhaps I also refuse to put money in the pockets of actors/actresses, most of whom I dislike. They can continue making money off of you, but not me. I'll stick to books and opera.
I'm not sure The Hunt will be featuring much CGI......
But your suggestion is a good one, as I have always meant to read a book some day. When did they stop writing good novels, out of interest?
🙂
Still waiting for your Desert Island Discs, by the way.
Originally posted by scacchipazzoWell - not absolutely ceased. Consider the work of Kieslowski (Blind Chance, the Dekalog and the Three Colours trilogy from the 1980s and 1990s. The dramas of Hirokazu Koreeda in Japan (Nobody Knows, Still Walking) in the 2000s. And last year I saw an absolutely wonderful Italian film, Le Quattro Volte. Almost restored my faith in cinema!
A poster below feels that great cinema was made between 1920-1980 then ceased. I tend to agree with notable exceptions.
Originally posted by TeinosukeUndoubtedly good points. I have yet to Watch Quattro Volte. Thanks for reminding me. I also agree I hardly ever see truly bad Japanese films (Godzilla and Mothra being the exception and TV shows like their sci-fi ones). I would watch them more if subtitles were not such a distraction. I don't need subtitles for Italian and understand a smattering of German so I at least pick a bit up. That said, however, some of the most enjoyable films I've watched since the 80's all seem to be foreign films.
Well - not absolutely ceased. Consider the work of Kieslowski (Blind Chance, the Dekalog and the Three Colours trilogy from the 1980s and 1990s. The dramas of Hirokazu Koreeda in Japan (Nobody Knows, Still Walking) in the 2000s. And last year I saw an absolutely wonderful Italian film, Le Quattro Volte. Almost restored my faith in cinema!
Contempary films I have really enjoyed include Inception, Shutter Island, Lincoln, the Daniel Craig Bond films, American History X, The Painted Veil, The Descendants, Man on Wire, In the Loop, Atonement, Changeling, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, Moon, LOTR, The Social Network, Gran Torino, The Reader, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (damn commas!), Memento.
All top quality films made this century. I gave Man on Wire and Atonement 10/10 ratings.
On the other hand, I've seen several overrated films, like anything by Tarantino, District 9, Drive, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, and somehow I've even seen Collateral. It's true that the morality of the film industry as a whole seems to be at an all time low and getting worse at an exponential rate, awards ceremonies are more boring and false than ever, and more utter guff is pushed on audiences than ever before, but there's still a lot of amazing, ground-breaking cinema being made.
I think people with more discerning taste need to show they are interested in going to cinemas to watch high-quality films, make a stand against (excuse me) F@&!ING popcorn and snacks and seat-kickers and talkers, show that they treat staff and the cinema itself with proper respect unlike a too-large section of current cinema-goers and the market will respond fairly quickly. Don't retreat into home cinema set-ups with pirated films, go and show them what you like instead and that you'll pay a reasonable price. My local multiplex (well, mini-multiplex) charges £3.25 on Tuesdays, which no-one can argue with. Even if you do buy DVDs/Blu-Ray films, go and experience them on the big screen anyway. Make it a social event. Perhaps you will find yourself in a new Golden Age of Cinema.
There is a place for modern Hollywood movies just as there is a place for art-house cinema and older Hollywood films. I don't like to see art-film proponents antagonise fans of more mainstream films, as there is a comparable amount of tosh in art-house and world cinema. (Or vice versa, naturally).
Originally posted by NoEarthlyReasonTotally agree with your views and your choices of films although I also like Collateral because of its dialogue. I think there is something for every movie lover.
Contempary films I have really enjoyed include Inception, Shutter Island, Lincoln, the Daniel Craig Bond films, American History X, The Painted Veil, The Descendants, Man on Wire, In the Loop, Atonement, Changeling, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, Moon, LOTR, The Social Network, Gran Torino, The Reader, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (damn co ...[text shortened]... a comparable amount of tosh in art-house and world cinema. (Or vice versa, naturally).