|
Post by Mashek on Jun 7, 2016 1:10:47 GMT
Pretty much related to the television program discussion, but what are your favourite films of all time? I was thinking about this recently and I can't quite pick one as I enjoy so many varying genres. Below I'll list my top five right off the top of my head, films that ultimately might not fall into any official list but mean something to me. 1. The Thin Red Line - I've found you either love this film or despise it, but for me this is one of my favourite films. Beautiful cinematography, superb soundtrack, wonderful acting and to top it off a tragic undertone lying at its very heart that war is a disease ultimately everyone in this war were prisoners to, and each affected by it in their own way. As much a story about the human condition than the battle for Guadalcanal in which this is set. Released in the same year as Saving Private Ryan. 2. Der Untergang/the Downfall - The last hours of Hitler's third reich. Superb acting by Bruno Ganz as hitler. Utterly compelling viewing. 3. Princess Mononoke - Japanese anime with a classic tale of man v man and man v nature. It's as much a tale of man losing himself to industry and tearing down the sacred beauty of the natural world around them, inhabited by many strange gods and spirits. One of the very best if you enjoy epic animes. 4. Dances With Wolves - Absolutely love this film. It's a classic tale of a westerner "going native". Never cared much for Kevin Costner but this is his defining role. Still seemed too short at what 3 hours? See the Last Samurai and Avatar for sequels. 5. Planes, Trains and Automobiles - This is just for shits and giggles, but if i were to pick a lighter film that is both drama and comedy then this is it. I somehow always seem to return to this for a bit of light viewing. Starring john candy and steve martin as an unlikely couple trying to get home across America in time for Christmas, what follows are endless calamities and bad luck, in particular for Steve Martin who as ever plays the usual cocky jerk.
|
|
|
Post by HockeySam18 on Jun 7, 2016 4:15:21 GMT
Dances With Wolves was awesome. Haven't seen it in years, but I remember some parts quite vividly.
Here's some that I've always liked a lot:
- The Lord of the Rings films, obviously. - The Shawshank Redemption - this one hits on so many levels, and pairs a brilliant cast with a gripping story. - The Godfather (I and II, not the abomination that was III). - Indiana Jones (I and III, but not II, and especially not IV). - Gladiator - one of the few good films made about the Roman Empire, even if riddled with inaccuracies. - Monty Python and the Holy Grail (and Life of Brian, but not to quite the same degree). - Blades of Glory - a typical Will Ferrell comedy movie, though I find it funnier than most of his other ones, even if excessively crass at times. - Inglourious Basterds - a Tarentino masterpiece (Pulp Fiction was probably a better film, but I enjoyed Inglourious Basterds more). - Tombstone - one of the few Westerns that I really enjoyed, this one is filled with excellent acting and great lines combined with a simple yet driven plotline. - Gran Torino - just awesome across the board.
I guess that's a pretty interesting medley of styles, which isn't surprising seeing as I've always been open to various film genres. The only genre I really can't identify with is romances, particularly the ones aimed nearly entirely at teenagers with raging hormones.
|
|
|
Post by Mashek on Jun 7, 2016 5:08:54 GMT
Ah yes, the Shawshank Redemption must surely be up there! Perfect storytelling and great cast. - Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven are a must for fans of epics, while Alexander (the extended cut) I found to be excellent storytelling, despite all its flaws. You really felt the 10 year journey by the end of it with all the ragged and weary looks of soldiers as they gathered to protest in India. - Agreed with Inglourious. For me, Tarantino's most polished and 'complete' film. Couldn't help but chuckle at the ending as Brad Pitt carved a NAZI swastika in the SS officer's forehead. Brutal. - Gran Torino is such vintage Eastwood. I was going to mention this but for whatever reason didn't. That said, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly must be up there as well. - Alas some childhood favourites: Hook, the Goonies and the Labyrinth. The only romance I ever got into was Braveheart, which really is a mix of all the genres.
|
|
|
Post by HockeySam18 on Jun 7, 2016 13:40:33 GMT
Braveheart always struck me as a historical action film (though riddled with inaccuracies) with a fair showing from several other genres, as you say. The emphasis on the love plot is an example of the disappointing development in the film industry that mandates that an underlying love plot is apparently a necessity for a quality film, ostensibly to appeal to the female demographic of the audience.
The Arwen-Aragorn plot in The Lord of the Rings is a good example. In the books the only manifestation of this is their marriage at the end of RotK, with the implication that they had been in love for years, but in the films numerous scenes are entirely fabricated to beef up this plotline. Remember when Arwen carries Frodo to Rivendell on her horse with the Nazgul in hot pursuit? In the books that was actually Glorfindel.
And don't even get me started on the Kili-Tauriel plot in The Hobbit films. Cringeworthy.
|
|
Matt
Stormwind Member
The Come And Go Man
Monsieur Mercredi
Posts: 1,812
|
Post by Matt on Jun 7, 2016 19:30:08 GMT
There are a very select few films which feature no romantic subplot at all. Master and Commander is one. They are always noteworthy because the opposite is the norm.
I don't mind the Arwen+Aragorn additions to the films. Tolkien wrote very subdued characters, and nearly every character in the films is more extreme than their book counterpart. The romance isn't the focus of the books and is glossed over, but I didn't think beefing it up hurt the films. Giving Arwen Glorfindel's scene made sense because no one had time to learn who Glorfindel was for one scene.
Of course, I may be one of the few Tolkien fans who actually feels Jackson improved the Aragorn character over the source material. Aragorn is very one dimensional in the books until maybe halfway through the trilogy or so.
|
|
|
Post by HockeySam18 on Jun 7, 2016 21:03:14 GMT
I agree with that. Tolkien's approach to literature wasn't extremely characterization-oriented, which had pros and cons. Naturally it makes you less likely to be bogged down in a certain type of tedium and minutiae, but it also means that many characters are, as you said, a bit one-dimensional. If I recall properly, Aragorn was referred to as Strider in the majority of cases during the first book. Unsurprisingly, it's a similar approach to that taken by much of the Anglo-Saxon poetry by which he was inspired.
There's a lot of literary charm in Tolkien's balance of individual character development with that of the overall plotline and world in which it was set, but I can see how that balance doesn't necessarily translate to film, which is often dependent on individual characterization.
|
|
Matt
Stormwind Member
The Come And Go Man
Monsieur Mercredi
Posts: 1,812
|
Post by Matt on Jun 7, 2016 22:01:42 GMT
Tolkien's characters typically are fully fleshed out only when they are the lens the world is viewed through. Frodo (and later Sam) are immediately interesting characters in FOTR. Aragorn doesn't become a point of view (though tolkien doesn't really right POV), until the breaking of the fellowship, and it's only then that he starts being a full character.
That's not really criticism at all. I'm very much a story > characters person. One reason Martin doesn't always work for me is he consistently spends time on what's important to minor characters but not the overall story. Tolkien never wasted time on his characters until the plot made him do so. This works fine for me in most cases, but with Aragorn it stutters a bit at first. Largely, this is probably because his only real personality traits early on are A) He's badass, and B) he's the king because he is supposed to be the king. Someone from North America in the 21st century just doesn't relate to monarchy like that.
|
|
|
Post by HockeySam18 on Jun 7, 2016 22:43:27 GMT
If Martin were an AoKH scenario designer, he'd be the guy to design a 7-scenario campaign entirely on 255x255 sized maps with 3000+ triggers per scenario, and after 20 years of toil have still only completed five of the seven Matt, I recall you saying once in a post that your brother is pursuing an advanced degree in English. Is he a Tolkien fan as well, or do his interests lie in a different literary genre or style?
|
|
Matt
Stormwind Member
The Come And Go Man
Monsieur Mercredi
Posts: 1,812
|
Post by Matt on Jun 7, 2016 23:24:35 GMT
My brother is doing his PhD in Medieval English. He was originally doing his thesis on something related to just war concepts, but I believe he got sick of the obscure sources and decided to do something different. His thesis has something to do with how 20th century british authors drew from medieval sources as an answer to the threats their country faced. T.H. White, Huxley, Orwell, etc. To be honest, it makes more sense when he explains it, and I only half listen when he goes into it, so that may not be exactly it. He likes tolkien but isn't including him in his research because he feels Tolkien is his own topic and would take over the thesis and is only vaguely related.
|
|
|
Post by HockeySam18 on Jun 8, 2016 1:58:25 GMT
That's a very interesting topic, and one on which there is much to be said. Several works of Anglo-Saxon poetry and prose in particular are notable for the sense of nationalism they instilled in modern British authors and governments alike, particularly during wartime. One especially famous WWI British propaganda campaign drew on the Nibelunglied, portraying British soldiers as the heroic figures from the epic while labeling the Germans as the villainous Huns who are some of the principal antagonists in that work.
I can definitely see that. Similarly, my college offers a few semester-long courses focusing entirely on Tolkien. The only other authors who receive similar (or greater) emphasis there are Chaucer and Shakespeare, which is pretty impressive company!
|
|
Matt
Stormwind Member
The Come And Go Man
Monsieur Mercredi
Posts: 1,812
|
Post by Matt on Jun 8, 2016 23:26:13 GMT
Yes, well I am sure you can tell from The Fury of Rastulf, my brother likes norse and germanic mythology too. One of the lousy things about going far into academia is eventually you can only study one topic, and even if it was your favourite you start to despise it because it keeps you from exploring all your other interests. He struggled with that a lot last year. From what I understand a lot of PhD students start to suffer fatigue in a similar way.
|
|
|
Post by Julius CMXCIX on Jun 8, 2016 23:30:24 GMT
When I was a graduate student, I became very glad that I was doing only a one year course.
|
|
Matt
Stormwind Member
The Come And Go Man
Monsieur Mercredi
Posts: 1,812
|
Post by Matt on Jun 8, 2016 23:39:15 GMT
I wouldn't know. I have a lowly bachelors in engineering degree
|
|
|
Post by HockeySam18 on Jun 8, 2016 23:40:59 GMT
That's some very useful insight to have in the back of my mind going forward. Thanks, guys I always found the narrative style in The Fury of Rastulf one of the more unique and intriguing approaches to story in AoK, if a bit lengthy and verbose.
|
|
|
Post by Mashek on Jun 12, 2016 10:56:07 GMT
Fury of Rastulf was refreshingly awesome when it came out. Loved the bloodthirsty theme for revenge!
|
|
|
Post by HockeySam18 on Jun 12, 2016 14:45:54 GMT
Modding was used to terrifically good effect in tandem with some creative and challenging battle sequences. That part where you help the dwarves defend the cave is probably the most frustrating experience I've ever had in an AoK scenario, though
|
|
|
Post by Basse on Jun 12, 2016 19:20:16 GMT
To sample some films already mentioned: - Lord of the Rings (planning to watch the full 12-hour extended version again sometime this year!) - Monty Python and the Holy Grail (the greatest comedy of all time) - Princess Mononoke (I have a very hard time deciding which of Miyazaki's films I like the most, but Mononoke's definitely up there!) And to add some more: - Stardust (a sort of homage to classical fairytales. I've probably seen it 10 times by now and I still absolutely love it) - City of God (a story about life in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, pretty dark at times, studded with black comedy) - 5 centimeters per second (a rather low key, Japanese animated film, a story about the passage of time told in three separate chapters. Not to overhype it, but I think it's absolutely beautiful ) If I had to put them in order, I'd probably go something like this: 1. Stardust 2. 5 Centimeters per second 3. Monty Python and the Holy Grail 4. Lord of the Rings trilogy 5. Castle in the Sky / Princess Mononoke / Spirited Away
|
|
|
Post by HockeySam18 on Jun 12, 2016 19:55:58 GMT
Haha, I just did that again last week. It just never gets old
|
|
|
Post by Mashek on Jun 14, 2016 1:11:50 GMT
I love the beauty of some Japanese anime. They bring out a magic seldom anyone is capable of at all. Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away (that train through the ocean), Howls Moving Castle, and a newer one I've seen from a different studio altogether being Journey to Agartha. Beautiful graphics and a nice story about a young girl and man seeking answers and traveling to another realm where the dead go in hopes of reviving a past love. I have the Girl Who Leapt Through Time waiting for me to watch it.
That said, not overly big on anime but there are those gems out there which you quickly cling to.
Wolf Children is another wonderful anime.
|
|
|
Post by Basse on Jun 14, 2016 17:12:36 GMT
Incidentally, Journey to Agartha is made by the same guy who made 5 centimetres per second. And I agree, it's a really good film!
|
|
|
Post by Julius CMXCIX on Jun 14, 2016 20:15:20 GMT
My favourite comedy film is Kind Hearts and Coronets. It's from the 1940s though so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it very widely, although there is an astonishing performance by Alec Guinness. More recently, I watched and enjoyed Dr Strangelove.
The last good film I watched was The Grand Budapest Hotel, on Netflix.
My single favourite piece of cinematography is the night-time bridge scene in Apocalypse Now.
|
|
|
Post by Mashek on Jun 14, 2016 21:38:45 GMT
Your taste in movies reminds me directly of my brother's! I'll lay a bet he also has Kind Hearts and Coronets. Coincidentally, I have the Grand Budapest Hotel sitting on my TV unit waiting for me to watch it. You can find my favourite cinematography in the New World (Children of Men's the other one). The same cinematographer (Emmanuel Lubezki) also did the latest Revenant film, including Children of Men (and yes, I had tears streaming down my face when the soldiers stopped fighting at the sound of a baby crying). He has a way of making you feel like you're right there in and among the drama.
|
|
|
Post by HockeySam18 on Jun 14, 2016 21:50:37 GMT
I particularly liked Alec Guinness in The Bridge on the River Kwai and in Lawrence of Arabia.
My favorite piece of cinematography, however, would have to be from Lord of the Rings - either the scene in FotR showing them traversing various locations shortly after they leave Rivendell, or the one in RotK showing the beacons being lit.
|
|
Matt
Stormwind Member
The Come And Go Man
Monsieur Mercredi
Posts: 1,812
|
Post by Matt on Jun 14, 2016 23:10:31 GMT
Both of those are amazing visuals. Has anyone watched field of dreams? I'm curious if it has the same emotional impact for people from outside north America who don't have any real prior knowledge of baseball. Its probably the closest I got to crying at a film since I was about seven and saw old yeller. Anyone seen The Fall? Oh and I went and saw the Warcraft movie. Its actually better than I thought it would be. My expectations were very low though.
|
|
|
Post by Mashek on Jun 14, 2016 23:37:14 GMT
Grew up with Field of Dreams. I don't remember how I felt though. I simply remember it being a rather pleasant film experience. Is the Fall that really colourful film where the girl visits the man in hospital and he tells her many strange stories?
|
|
|
Post by HockeySam18 on Jun 15, 2016 0:54:49 GMT
The scene at the end of Field of Dreams where Ray tosses a baseball with his dad's ghost is one of the few film scenes that will usually make me tear up. I last watched it a few months ago, and each time I think of how I grew up tossing a baseball in my backyard with my dad every day after he got home from work.
|
|
|
Post by Mashek on Jun 15, 2016 8:56:01 GMT
For us it was cricket or a kick of the footy.
|
|
|
Post by HockeySam18 on Jun 15, 2016 11:54:21 GMT
I also used to shoot hockey pucks around in my driveway a lot. Our garage doors were designed in such a way that each one was essentially a 4x4 of rectangular panels, which made it far too simple of a tool to practice the accuracy of my wrist shot. I put so many dents in the garage doors that we had to have them replaced
|
|
Matt
Stormwind Member
The Come And Go Man
Monsieur Mercredi
Posts: 1,812
|
Post by Matt on Jun 15, 2016 12:38:25 GMT
You should have been born a Canadian, Sam.
|
|
|
Post by Mashek on Jun 15, 2016 13:12:49 GMT
Ha ha that's quite funny. I remember we regularly put the soccer ball through the backyard fence when playing backyard soccer. My those times against my brothers got bloody and competitive.
|
|