Movies

Bull Shannon said:
Da Matrix:

It was not bad! Very audacious. I’d say the barometer for your enjoyment is whether you still think “The Matrix is such a good movie, such a shame they never made any sequels” jokes are pithy and relevant. Love that it’s a blockbuster about empowerment and love fighting complacency and despair.

That said, I thought the action was poorly shot, and all the new characters had zero room to become interesting. Sometimes I liked the colorful cinematography; sometimes it looked flat and cheap.

so, while I don’t think this movie is as strange and confusing as some are saying (especially if you keep the sequels in mind), but someone ‘splain me how Bugs saw The Thomas Anderson, knew he was Neo, became aware and unplugged from The Matrix, then had trouble finding one of the more famous humans inside the Matrix? I think there was a line about him being well hidden, but I dunno man…I was also confused how Morpheus 2.0 could be a program running once in a modal but also have a backstory involving Neo helping him see the light. Does that mean his history was programmed into him?

I’d also love to see a bit more of what this hew matrix is like. The matrix scenes in the beginning are so focused on Neo, then the ins and outs of it are largely abandoned for the Save Trinity plot. It’s really interesting to think 1) the matrix destabilizes regularly whenever Neo glances towards awareness, and 2) the “doom scrolling/social media” bent of the new matrix allows bonkers shit to go down like swam mode, and we all either ignore it or are easily reset back to “reality.”

Also some really odd imagery in this movie around psychiatry and suicide, both in Neo’s attempts to break out, and the final swarm mode action sequence with people dropping out of skyscrapers. My jaw dropped at that last part especially; it was so grim.
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oh yeah the suicide-style bomber people was bizarre and very dark. I’m not sure why that was a thing. And yeah now that you mention it the inclusion of therapy and suicide is interesting and weird. I’m not sure it connects in a good way to some theme or some point.
 
Bennnnn said:
oh yeah the suicide-style bomber people was bizarre and very dark. I’m not sure why that was a thing. And yeah now that you mention it the inclusion of therapy and suicide is interesting and weird. I’m not sure it connects in a good way to some theme or some point.
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I kind of interpreted it in the context of the pandemic where people are manipulated into destroying themselves. Made sense after the analyst said he was using fear and manipulation to make this version of the matrix more energy-efficient.
 
New Matrix rules and haters can suck it. Unlike the MCU you can tell people actually fuck in that world.

The action wasn't quite as good as the first two (the third one is mostly just a war epic after the Merovingian club scene), but it was just nice to back in that world and have something so idiosyncratic and focused on themes of love and hope. Other sentimentalists get in, we're going to the bondage clubs!
 
Disney's A Christmas Carol (the mo-cap one with Jim Carrey) is a pretty underrated version imo. Definitely leans into the darker aspects of the story but it is a ghost story after all. I recommend it if you're in the mood for a more intense/atmospheric take.

Also watched The Muppet Christmas Carol, a movie that goes way harder than it needs to and is all the better for it.
 
So…is it still an okay idea to go to the theater next week? I wanna see Licorice Pizza so bad, but naturally I’m back to being worried about Covid again (despite being tripple vaxxed and masked). I don’t think it will be crowded where I live…so I should be able to easily avoid a large crowd.
 
Bennnnn said:
So…is it still an okay idea to go to the theater next week? I wanna see Licorice Pizza so bad, but naturally I’m back to being worried about Covid again (despite being tripple vaxxed and masked). I don’t think it will be crowded where I live…so I should be able to easily avoid a large crowd.
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That has to be a personal decision really, but there are other ways to see it if your resourceful. I liked it.
 
Bennnnn said:
So…is it still an okay idea to go to the theater next week? I wanna see Licorice Pizza so bad, but naturally I’m back to being worried about Covid again (despite being tripple vaxxed and masked). I don’t think it will be crowded where I live…so I should be able to easily avoid a large crowd.
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Triple vaxxed and masked you will more than likely be fine, but up to you of course.
 
ayayrawn said:
Triple vaxxed and masked you will more than likely be fine, but up to you of course.
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It’s just hard to make a decision.

But I had to go to a crowded theater to see The Nutcracker a few weeks ago and there’s was almost no other person in a mask. And I was fine. So I’m trying to remember that…
 
Indymisanthrope said:
I’ve recently been listening to old episodes of Blank Check, and the Wachowski series has made me a) reappraise 2 & 3, which I haven’t seen since initial release, and b) really want to rewatch Cloud Atlas, which for all its flaws is probably their actual masterpiece.
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I have to agree. I think Cloud Atlas is one of my favorite movies. Every time they play it, I automatically go it it. It’s a gorgeous, enthralling movie.

I think we are going to watch the new Matrix some time this week since it’s on our HBO Max. I’m glad to hear that the effects aren’t so great that they need to be experienced on the big screen.
 
LeSamourai said:
The times I've been back to the theater I've purposefully picked less busy showings and sat with some space between myself and others.
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I am deciding between a theater where I can buy ahead of time and see who has already bought seats - but the showings are only at 4 and 7. Or a theater with a showing at 1, which would probably have very few people at it.
 
Watched a couple of movies yesterday...

C'mon C'mon - a fairly small plot sort of film, but that adds to its overall feeling and charm. The relationship between Joaquin Phoenix and the kid is obviously the biggest thing the film as going for it - and it works better than I imagined considering I'm not that into Joaquin Phoenix. The cinematography and aesthetic choice to have it in black and white is fantastic - especially seeing how the various cities look. The sound design is also something I ended up paying attention to (as it is called attention to by virtue of Joaquin's job). But like hearing those sounds of the beach, then sounds of the NYC and the skateboarders...I don't know it just made me appreciate sound design. That all said, I mean I think it's a pretty solid movie, but not phenomenal or mind blowing. Worth a watch.

Encanto - I barely knew anything about this going in, and I feel like it's because of how sort of fumbled the release strategy of it was from Disney. They put it in theaters and it didn't do well, so they wound up putting it on Disney+ on Christmas Eve - which I didn't know even happened initially. And it's all kind of a shame cause this is a pretty unique movie for Disney. It does still follow a certain trend of reluctant lead character, but the journey itself is not what I expected and I wound up pretty surprised by how it unfolded. It's unique for a Disney film. It's a very sweet movie, and a true ensemble - much more so than Disney's recent output. On the scale of Disney / Pixar releases this year, I'd say it's right under Luca, but easily above Raya. I wish it would catch on a bit more, and maybe it will, cause I think it could pave a more interesting way for more diverse, unique stories rather than the typical hero's journey type storytelling. That said I'm not trying to oversell it. It's not THE most unique thing I've ever seen, I just appreciate it for what it does - and I was surprised by where the plot goes - and how sort of small it stays.
 
Bennnnn said:
So…is it still an okay idea to go to the theater next week? I wanna see Licorice Pizza so bad, but naturally I’m back to being worried about Covid again (despite being tripple vaxxed and masked). I don’t think it will be crowded where I live…so I should be able to easily avoid a large crowd.
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Speaking as another triple vaccinated and masked person, we did go back yesterday (for Licorice Pizza). I think it's reasonably safe if you're in a larger theater with some space. We usually try to grab last row and/or aisle to minimize neighbors or people behind us, and the one case we caught was from work not from the theater. I totally support not doing it as well, it is indoors in a closed off room so it can only be so safe, but I think you can limit your risk by movie choice, time choice, etc.
 
Some short thoughts on some fairly recently releases - four fairly strong recommends and one "if you like that kinda movie" promotion

Licorice Pizza - Saw this one yesterday, really solid movie that felt like a lot of drive with no direction. I mean this as a positive. The more I think on it the more I like what PTA did and the vision he had for the characters and film. Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman do a lot of lifting and while I didn't care for some decisions, most of it really worked. Good soundtrack, great cameos/casting on the back end, just a good overall watch. I will say I think it's being a BIT overrated but that's more personal taste than anything. Worth a watch at home or in theatres.

Spiderman: No Way Home: Pure glorious fan service rewarding newbies and diehards alike. Just a ton of fun and creative plotting. First billion dollar movie of the year and well deserved.

Encanto: I was kind of surprised this wasn't a Pixar movie. It had the plot of a Pixar movie - it makes me wonder if they were afraid of it being a little too Coco reminiscent in culture. GREAT songs and kind of underpromoted for a kids movie. I wish it had gotten some more love as it's the best kids movie in sometime, or at least among the best of 2021. Strong recommend for the audio-visuals and generational lessons. Like Bennnnn it was REALLY refreshing how "small" it stayed. We need more small movies.

Belfast: Probably my favorite movie of 2021. It's hard to say much about it fairly, but it takes all of the good of a movie like Jojo Rabbit, takes out of a lot of the absurdity, and adds even more heart with some top tier filmmaking. It's also the most enjoyable Van Morrison has been in decades

Don't Look Up: This all hinges to me on if you like Adam Mckay. His sledgehammer messaging and style don't cause me issues so this was aggressively my jam and the star studdedness of the cast is a joy, but if you like your messaging subtle and nuanced stay away.
 
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