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[Thug Waffle]

nice! are they in Chi or back in Plano?

they're still in and around the Plano area. when i got hired i expected we'd be shooting downtown, so now i'm really eager to see what they've got in store for small town Illinois

hopefully the chicago unit wraps before MCC comes out next week lol

 

[Moppeh]

Saw Birdman and it was fucking great. This definitely wins Best Cinematography, right? It's gorgeous. The seamless editing only makes it better too. Fucking beautiful film.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

Saw Birdman and it was fucking great. This definitely wins Best Cinematography, right? It's gorgeous. The seamless editing only makes it better too. Fucking beautiful film.

Can dude win twice in a row? Can Deakins lose for the 12th time?

 

[demosthenes]

Saw john Wick tonight. So good.

 

[Moppeh]

Can dude win twice in a row? Can Deakins lose for the 12th time?

We'll have to see what the competition is like. But man, it is very well shot. I haven't seen anything else this year that gets close.

 

[Thug Waffle]

Saw john Wick tonight. So good.

that movie is legitimately a textbook example of how to shoot action sequences.

 

[Max Armstrong]

Saw Birdman and it was fucking great. This definitely wins Best Cinematography, right? It's gorgeous. The seamless editing only makes it better too. Fucking beautiful film.

I really hope so, Lubezki is a beast, could have easily won for Tree of Life and Children of Men also.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

John Wick is fun, though a bit overhyped. It does what it does commendably, but didn't really live up to the level of praise it's been getting. Stylistically it's a bit bland to the point that I can't really tell you one shot or stunt that stood out above the rest. I guess the club sequence is notable for its use of color and absurd

Spoiler

number of double taps

, but other than that...hmm, I don't know.

But it's an R rated one man army movie where the main character wears an amazing suit. Good enough for me.

 

[DedalusJoyce]

The Straight Story
Frank
Boyhood
Mr Fantastic Fox
Listen up Philip

All great movies.

 

[Discotheque]

John Wick is fun, though a bit overhyped. It does what it does commendably, but didn't really live up to the level of praise it's been getting. Stylistically it's a bit bland to the point that I can't really tell you one shot or stunt that stood out above the rest. I guess the club sequence is notable for its use of color and absurd

Spoiler

number of double taps

, but other than that...hmm, I don't know.

But it's an R rated one man army movie where the protagonist wears an amazing suit. Good enough for me.

it's not on the level of the raid movies or as good as sleepless night. but the gunfights were cool. it's nice to see the efficient movement when he's got a gun, the action gets boring whenever he's without it imo. didn't care for the hand-to-hand scenes.

 

[plasmawave]

that movie is legitimately a textbook example of how to shoot action sequences.

Plus mothafuckin Keanu.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

it's not on the level of the raid movies or as good as sleepless night. but the gunfights were cool. it's nice to see the efficient movement when he's got a gun, the action gets boring whenever he's without it imo. didn't care for the hand-to-hand scenes.

I saw that people kept bringing up The Raid and Dredd being 2 other recent balls out, super focused action movies, but both of those are on another level IMO. The Raid is flat out incredible with the stunts, has some very effective handheld camerawork, and sustains tension from the first 5 minutes to at least halfway through the finale (which is, admittedly, a bit too long). Dredd has does some interesting things with slow-mo, has a very underrated soundtrack, and manages to have some solid characters. John Wick has Gunkata Jr.

And yeah, the hand to hand stuff wasn't really exciting. How many armdrags you gonna do, Wick?

 

[strobogo]

Nightcrawler: Jake G was pretty dope in it. Creepy fuck. The ending really pissed me off and put a damper on the whole movie for me. Even before that, I thought Gone Girl was the better thriller/mystery/wtf/SWERVE movie this year. Pretty disappointed in this. The trailers seemed like it'd be great, while it was mostly just okay for most of the movie. That ending though...fuck it.

I saw that people kept bringing up The Raid and Dredd being 2 other recent balls out, super focused action movies, but both of those are on another level IMO. The Raid is flat out incredible with the stunts, has some very effective handheld camerawork, and sustains tension from the first 5 minutes to at least halfway through the finale (which is, admittedly, a bit too long). Dredd has does some interesting things with slow-mo, has a very underrated soundtrack, and manages to have some solid characters. John Wick has Gunkata Jr.

And yeah, the hand to hand stuff wasn't really exciting. How many armdrags you gonna do, Wick?

Mother fucker did a Finlay Roll. Get yo life, son.

 

[overcast]

Saw Birdman and it was fucking great. This definitely wins Best Cinematography, right? It's gorgeous. The seamless editing only makes it better too. Fucking beautiful film.

No kidding. I was in awe for most of the movie.

 

[Cosmic Bus]

2. The Last Picture Show

2) I Walked With a Zombie

2. Peppermint Frappe

Funeral Parade of Roses still in the lead for my movie of the year.

those number two picks

and Baron knows what's up.

 

[Hoagmaster]

The Fault In Our Stars

I was intrigued by the response the film got over the summer and have since sampled the book it's adapted from. Overall, I thought it was pretty good. The issues our leads face and their reactions to them are pretty authentic, though I wonder if some of the flirtatious behavior might be considered a little too indulgent. That said, the two leads and titular star-crossed lovers have believable chemistry and, being someone in a relationship at a somewhat young age, I could relate to the awkward encounters and small talk. Their performance together kept me entertained.

It certainly has a few slow moments and some bizarre onomatopoeia-like text messages that pop up from time to time. Some might say that this movie romanticizes having a serious medical condition. And I guess at its root, it's a romantic comedy aimed at teenagers in which there is no chance for a truly happy ending. Take that for what you will.

I think there's a decent chance I'd watch it again if the opportunity rose, so I guess I can give this one a recommend.

 

[big ander]

as a huge Lubezki fan: the cinematography in Birdman is not very good. The technical gimmick is impressive I guess but having to follow it so rigidly stopped Lubezki from actually finding great images. it's a bunch of following two-shots or close-ups.

edit: oh also saw Force Majeure:

Family ski drama on how easily masculinity bruises while femininity is given less blatant but equally throbbing papercuts, restrictiveness of domestic gender roles and balancing family with the self. sometimes without enough grace, the pink and blue outfits may have been too on-the-nose, yet its portrayal is always accurate and each of the leads wholly convincing. and it nails how family arguments grow and arc outwards or down generations, how when you're really close to someone you can start to avoid letting them inside your head. the way the family worked, and the way the family worked rottenly on a vacation in particular, was eminently familiar to me. despite that it still made me really want to be on a ski trip with my family. That may be how Ostlund understands skiing so well. The mountain both alien and controlled, the intermittent thoughts of "oh, people die doing this stuff" while you treat it like a lark, the tranquil pioneering of skiing fresh show. I even wondered if he coached the actors on how exactly to ski, because the couple's technique says plenty about their personalities alone.

 

[overcast]

See, I think he does very well in finding some great shots in those close ups. Nothing wrong with that. I personally wouldn't call it a technical gimmick necessarily as it goes a long way in establishing the tone/message of the movie.

Although, I do understand why somebody would say that. It's pretty masturbatory.

 

[Serpentine]

Let's Be Cops - Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr are both funny, and they try so hard here but they're working with total shit. None of the jokes are fully formed and the end is completely unearned. Doesn't know if it wants to be crazy over-the-top or sincere, and fails at being good at either. Pretty disappointing.

Point Blank - alright this was dope, from the music to the cinematography (there's like a million memorable shots, give or take a few), the editing, Lee Marvin, and the fact that it totally can be as complex as you wanna make it.

 

[plasmawave]

Gone Girl was like...

 

[UrbanRats]

Can dude win twice in a row? Can Deakins lose for the 12th time?

What does Deakins has in the running? Only Unbroken?

 

[william_557]

Watched Dead Poets Society the other day...great film

 

[ViewtifulJC]

Actually didn't much care for The Raid 2. The first movie didn't have much of a story and they just kept doing cool shit until the finale, where about halfway through you're checking you watch. And that was 90 minutes. Raid 2, you got the world's most boring gangster cliches trotted out and a protagonist that disappears in his own movie for 2 1/2 hours, couldn't give less of a fuck for the entire last 30 minutes, don't care how impressive it was technically. John Wick > Raid 2.

 

[thenexus6]

Lost in Translation for the second time. I love it so easy to watch.

 

[Discotheque]

Actually didn't much care for The Raid 2. The first movie didn't have much of a story and they just kept doing cool shit until the finale, where about halfway through you're checking you watch. And that was 90 minutes. Raid 2, you got the world's most boring gangster cliches trotted out and a protagonist that disappears in his own movie for 2 1/2 hours, couldn't give less of a fuck for the entire last 30 minutes, don't care how impressive it was technically. John Wick > Raid 2.

John wick also got the typical gangster cliches. Plus bootleg waltz...nah I wasn't buying that dude at all. Wick should have capped him asap

In the end it's about the quality of the action and I gotta put raid 2 over it for that, John wick 2 should have a much better villain and just keep a gun glued to Keanu

 

[Blader]

as a huge Lubezki fan: the cinematography in Birdman is not very good. The technical gimmick is impressive I guess but having to follow it so rigidly stopped Lubezki from actually finding great images. it's a bunch of following two-shots or close-ups.

I was going to say pretty much the same thing, and I think watching this movie actually convinced me that long takes actually aren't all that great. Impressive to pull off, for sure, but as you said, adhering to that kind of forces him into almost exclusively close-up shots that on their own really aren't all that good-looking or framed interestingly.

 

[swoon]

outside of new world, like water for chocolate and maybe reality bites i'm not sure where the lubezki it all seems kinda workmanlike.

 

[big ander]

I was going to say pretty much the same thing, and I think watching this movie actually convinced me that long takes actually aren't all that great. Impressive to pull off, for sure, but as you said, adhering to that kind of forces him into almost exclusively close-up shots that on their own really aren't all that good-looking or framed interestingly.

Right, I think long takes can have a purpose and for a lot of Birdman they do do the job by confining you to Riggan's perspective, but I think it ultimately hobbles the film.

outside of new world, like water for chocolate and maybe reality bites i'm not sure where the lubezki it all seems kinda workmanlike.

his other Malicks with Tree of Life and To The Wonder, the Cuaron movies up through Gravity, Burn After Reading looks great, even The Birdcage has a sort or romantic flair that I think owes a lot to Lubezki's earlier work.

What does Deakins has in the running? Only Unbroken?

mhm. He could get a nom next year with another Villenueve collab though

 

[swoon]

his other Malicks with Tree of Life and To The Wonder, the Cuaron movies up through Gravity, Burn After Reading looks great, even The Birdcage has a sort or romantic flair that I think owes a lot to Lubezki's earlier work.

yea i guess things like burn after reading and birdcage are what i'm thinking about, they are fine , but not worth the cult. i think his post-great expectation work with cuaron is borderline ugly, though it seems like children of men back-ended a lot people into the cinematography as a thing, much like bob marley and reggage.

deakins is fine and has a certain style, though fosley never winning will hurt more.

 

[Blader]

Also, I watched Amelie last night and...didn't get it? It was cute and all, but I couldn't understand why so many people seem to go crazy for it. It gets routinely held up as one of the best, if not the best, foreign films of the last 15-20 years and I guess I just didn't understand matching up that hype with this movie.

 

[TheKaeptain]

No one thinks Amelie is the best French movie of the last 15 years.

 

[daydream]

No one thinks Amelie is the best French movie of the last 15 years.

Yup. I liked Amélie a lot when it came out (13 years ago, ouch) and I'm kinda scared to rewatch it.

 

[L4DANathan]

I recently decided to get around to watching some Quentin Tarantino films. I started with Pulp Fiction, then Reservoir Dogs, Inglorious Basterds, then finally Django Unchained. Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained in particular really rocked, they did a great job of pacing and getting you invested in the characters. In Reservoir Dogs, I felt an instant connection with Mr. Pink because of his statement about tips near the beginning, and how everyone just thinks someone who doesn't tip is an asshole. This is particularly odd, because I generally hate Steve Buscemi as an actor. After watching them, I've got a new favorite director and need to get around to watching the last few movies of his I haven't seen yet (I'd seen Kill Bill previously).

 

[overcast]

No one thinks Amelie is the best French movie of the last 15 years.

Yeah, that's not a thought. I think it's a fun and cute movie though.

 

[big ander]

Buscemi's a great actor and people who don't tip (in tipping societies like the US) are assholes

yea i guess things like burn after reading and birdcage are what i'm thinking about, they are fine , but not worth the cult. i think his post-great expectation work with cuaron is borderline ugly, though it seems like children of men back-ended a lot people into the cinematography as a thing, much like bob marley and reggage.

deakins is fine and has a certain style, though fosley never winning will hurt more.

I agree he's not exactly deserving of the cult. And Gravity's not pretty but having rewatched Children recently enough, I think it has some striking images outside of/within the movement long take fireworks.

 

[overcast]

Buscemi's a great actor and people who don't tip (in tipping societies like the US) are assholes

Lmao. Gonna have to agree here. Surprised Tarantino doesn't use Buscemi more often.

 

[Infernostew]

Top 5 newly seen in October:

1. Magnolia
2. Birdman
3. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
4. The Godfather Part 2
5. Snowpiercer

Silver Linings Playbook - Not really into romantic films but this one was quite nice. Great acting from the whole cast. The ending was predictable and I kind of felt a bit cheated that it was so conventional but still a solid film. 7/10

Citizenfour - Documentary about Edward Snowden and his leaking of NSA files on government collection on US citizens. Pretty eye opening and scary how much information our government can illegally obtain in the name of "national security". Very well done and one of the better docs I've seen this year. 8/10

 

[Spinluck]

No one thinks Amelie is the best French movie of the last 15 years.

I liked Blue Is The Warmest color more.

 

[Max Armstrong]

yea i guess things like burn after reading and birdcage are what i'm thinking about, they are fine , but not worth the cult. i think his post-great expectation work with cuaron is borderline ugly, though it seems like children of men back-ended a lot people into the cinematography as a thing, much like bob marley and reggage.

deakins is fine and has a certain style, though fosley never winning will hurt more.

Can you name a couple of films that you enjoyed for its cinematography?

I know you've seen a lot so maybe you have a couple of less known suggestions, I saw Who Are You, Polly Magoo? because of you and it's now one of my favourite, my friend likes it a lot too.

 

[Meliorism]

THE TALE OF PRINCESS FUCKING KAGUYA.,Y'ALL

 

[swoon]

Can you name a couple of films that you enjoyed for its cinematography?

I know you've seen a lot so maybe you have a couple of less known suggestions, I saw Who Are You, Polly Magoo? because of you and it's now one of my favourite, my friend likes it a lot too.

for lesser known stuff i just finished watching albert lewin's films, and they are all perfectly shot movies, he is emulating painting rather than photography which produces some really great uses of perspective. moon and sixpence to pandora and the flying dutchman are all great.

agnes godard shot the middle batch of great claire denis' films, trouble every day, beau travail, they are really wonderful.

i think long takes in musicals and even things like adam's rib are lot more impressive than anything children of men, fwiw.

 

[overcast]

Can you name a couple of films that you enjoyed for its cinematography?

I know you've seen a lot so maybe you have a couple of less known suggestions, I saw Who Are You, Polly Magoo? because of you and it's now one of my favourite, my friend likes it a lot too.

This looks great. Going to put it on my list.

Random, but I'm watching a showing of Cleo From 5 to 7 in December (right before a concert), so that should be interesting. Wonder how pretentious the crowd will be :]

 

[big ander]

This looks great. Going to put it on my list.

Random, but I'm watching a showing of Cleo From 5 to 7 in December (right before a concert), so that should be interesting. Wonder how pretentious the crowd will be :]

The angel olsen acoustic show at cinefamily? Been meaning to buy tix to that, hope they're still available.

 

[overcast]

The angel olsen acoustic show at cinefamily? Been meaning to buy tix to that, hope they're still available.

Yessir.

 

[Turin]

John Wick. Very fun movie.

If I can, I want to see Birdman and Interstellar soon.

 

[Death Metalist]

Also, I watched Amelie last night and...didn't get it? It was cute and all, but I couldn't understand why so many people seem to go crazy for it. It gets routinely held up as one of the best, if not the best, foreign films of the last 15-20 years and I guess I just didn't understand matching up that hype with this movie.

It's a cute, innocent fun movie. I loved it. However, I think the strongest thing about the movie besides the cinematography, is the soundtrack. Really fucking good.

 

[Linius]

No one thinks Amelie is the best French movie of the last 15 years.

I don't watch that many French films so for me it certainly is. Think the only other French films I've seen from the past 15 years are Micmacs, Intouchables and Un Prophète. If we can go back further I can only add La Haine to that list.

 

[UrbanRats]

THE TALE OF PRINCESS FUCKING KAGUYA.,Y'ALL

Seems like it took forever to get finished, i hope it delivers.
Especially since Wind Rises was great.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Saw (the 'her' version of) the Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby yesterday during a local film festival here in Leiden (Netherlands). I think I liked it, but what I was thinking about most during the film is that Chastain might actually be a pretty good Sarah Connor. Not that it matters. The new Terminator film has absolutely 0 chance of being any good and she's not in it. But still, it was fun to fantasize about something better for a little while.

 

[Infernostew]

No one thinks Amelie is the best French movie of the last 15 years.

Yup. I didn't really like the film all that much but the soundtrack is just amazing. It's not even one Jeunet's best films, imo, that would be Delicatessen and City of Lost Children.