It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
^ Back to Top
The MI6 Community is unofficial and in no way associated or linked with EON Productions, MGM, Sony Pictures, Activision or Ian Fleming Publications. Any views expressed on this website are of the individual members and do not necessarily reflect those of the Community owners. Any video or images displayed in topics on MI6 Community are embedded by users from third party sites and as such MI6 Community and its owners take no responsibility for this material.
James Bond News • James Bond Articles • James Bond Magazine
Comments
McCarthy's main issue is she always plays the same characters and comedic notes in every movie she's in. Always the loony, cartoonish and oft-eccentric personality who stumbles (literally) into every over the top scenario she meets. She's usually good at it, but after a while it just gets old.
@ClarkDevlin, the whole film was essentially the cinematic embodiment of the radical feminism of today, where the whole team did to the male characters what women hate to see done to their gender on films. The men were either idiots or assholes (or both) and the constant references to gender made it all so obvious. When a film ends with
That's why if I see obvious CGI (which is of course in the eye of the beholder) in any of these entries, I'm very critical of it. I think most are, which is why the disgraceful DAD surf is so lambasted - because it pisses on the history and hard work of its series predecessors, which were painstakingly crafted to look as real as could be given the time they were made.
Certainly I don't want to see a man in a rubber suit today. However, whatever I see, I want it to look 'best in class'. I loved Prometheus and thought the effects work was absolutely spectacular. In fact, it was one of my reference films when optimizing/calibrating my LED large screen tv.
Now here's the thing: I'll bet those that are being critical of CGI usage in Alien Covenant won't be as critical of the same usage in Bladerunner 2049, which was all originally practical effects by Douglas Trumbull, because Roger Deakins and Denis Villeneuve are involved - who are geeky fanboy favourites. Basically, the same argument can be levelled at Bladerunner 2049, but we know it won't be, don't we. I guess I'm talking about double standards.
A good point was made at the end of that youtube clip which @ClarkDevlin posted on the last page about CGI - namely that if the narrative is tight and engaging, then we, the audience, are far more forgiving of a lot of things, including poor CGI usage. I think the same can be said of colours, cinematography, score etc., all of which can appeal to our senses and help us to overlook a badly crafted monster or effect. Conversely, if a film is subpar in other areas, we tend to notice the CGI more readily.
Essentially, our perceptions can be manipulated by other factors.
I haven't seen Alien: Covenant yet (which isn't out yet where I am) and nor have I seen Blade Runner 2049 (obviously), but I'll tell you this: if Alien: Covenant has atrocious CGI I will rag on the CGI and it will most definitely detract from my film-viewing experience. By that same token, if BR 2049 has atrocious CGI I will rag on the CGI and it will most definitely detract from my film-viewing experience. The two are not related, and yes, I am a huge fan of both of the original films. Alien in particular had phenomenal visual effects. Blade Runner did as well, but even there you had spinners being lifted on visible cables (something which, let's bear in mind, was corrected digitally, along with other things, for the 2007 Final Cut). Bad CGI is bad CGI and doesn't get a pass because of the filmmakers involved. Roger Deakins shot Skyfall and did a stellar job, but I'll be the first to point out the film's wonky CGI and how it pulled my attention while first viewing the film—Roger Deakins or no.
@Some_Kind_Of_Hero, I think you need to go back and reread what's been discussed between some of us here. The discussion was on practical effect vs CGI, not atrocious practical effects vs atrocious CGI. Obviously anything that's atrocious on film is up for being criticized. That wasn't the point that was being made. It was about one visual effect versus another.
The western genre collides head-on with the martial arts genre. An odd little film, not odd bad, but different. Has a surprising cast (for such a film) as well, Danny Huston, Geoffrey Rush and Kate Bosworth. The fight sequences are crazily ott in a stylized way.
This was my first viewing of this David Fincher psychological thriller (based on a Gillian Flynn bestselling novel) since its release in the theatre. I really enjoyed it both times. Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) and his wife Amy (DAD's Rosamund Pike) are Missouri suburbanites. Their marriage isn't going well, as Nick has been having an affair with a college student, and Amy is aware of it. He wants out, but she resents (even envies) his attempts at happiness with anyone else. On their 5th anniversary, she goes missing and there is evidence of a struggle at their home. Nick soon becomes the prime suspect, on account of shifty behaviour and his apparent lack of concern for his wife's disappearance. The two cops investigating the case, Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens) and Jim Gilpin (Patrick Fugit) are increasingly doubtful about him. It doesn't help that Amy seemed like such an all American sweetheart (and was even the inspiration for a line of bestselling books written by her parents). Even Nick's twin sister Margo (Carrie Coon) and Amy's parents begin to suspect Nick. As the noose tightens, he is forced to seek assistance from high priced celebrity lawyer Tanner Bolt (Tyler Perry). Bolt suggests using the media to cast Nick in a more favourable light and turn the tables on Amy. After all, she had been less than fair to a few prior suitors, including Desi Collings (Doogie Howser's Neil Patrick Harris). As Nick, Tanner and Margo go on the offensive, we realize that all is not as it seems, and there is more to Amy than we previously knew.
Fincher imbues this film with his trademark atmospheric style. Long time cinematographer & collaborator Jeff Cronenworth expertly makes a suburban setting appear mysterious and creepy. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross create a score that is unsettling, similar to what they did on The Social Network and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The film is a delight because we travel back and forth in time, with narration by both Nick and Amy. Neither is entirely truthful to us, and so we learn the truth about them as we go along, which keeps it interesting. The characterizations are all quite strong and watchable, which is impressive given none are entirely sympathetic. Carrie Coon is superb as concerned sister Margo, Kim Dickens is also very good as the open minded cop, as is Tyler Perry as the smart lawyer. However Pike steals it as Amy. She is at once vulnerable and frightening. Recommended.
The Assassins Creed - a sometimes more than impressive shot movies with some nice fightscenes, but at the end of the movie I was somewhat puzzled what it was all about. Perhaps because I am not so familiar with the game I did miss a lot.
Suicide Squad ext ed - a good and decent DC bad boys and girl group that have to safe the day. The interaction between the various characters was well done. Not being familiar with the source material as so many are not I found the movie more than enjoyable. Nice to see the new Batman show up as well. Harley Quin did steal the movie which must have been surprising for Will Smith.
My name is Nobody - with a very good Henry Fonda but one of the best slapstick actors of our time in the form of Terence Hill who made the movie absolutely excellent. Great Spaghetti western with a brilliant soundtrack from none other than Morricone
THE AMAZING DR. CLITTERHOUSE
Edward G. Robinson, Claire Trevor and Humphrey Bogart star in this clever and anything but outdated crime film in which a doctor examines the medical details of a criminal’s life by behaving as one. It’s a theme I find intriguing since I can only imagine how tempting it must be sometimes to flip one’s own ethics to the ‘other side’ when studying or investigating the nature of crime. Surely we must all have a dark fantasy in which we’re the crime boss of the century in some safe, old ‘film noir’ kind of way, if only to get an idea of what it feels like. Robinson’s Dr. Clitterhouse—that name!—dares to make that leap and I’m licking my lips in guilty envy all the way. Also, I can imagine that in 1938, many Americans were dreaming of a career in crime with lots of seemingly easy pay-offs too.
Robinson, who would also star with Bogart in KEY LARGO, is a pure delight. How he performs a medical research on a police inspector for example while shaking him for information, always scheming and plotting… it’s hard to pry one’s eyes away from such brilliance. He’s almost always several steps ahead of the professionals and he wastes no time in turning the table to his advantage even when the heat is on. Who can resist such an intelligent opportunist who manages to court tough criminals and have them build more loyalty to him than to their previous leader? He’s calculated and determined, not physically imposing but extremely gifted upstairs. And that’s the type of well-mannered outlaws I like. Things become especially interesting when others trade muscle for brains too and start challenging him on the terms of his own game.
The film gains momentum right from the start. As fresh and alive as a film made yesterday, THE AMAZING DR. CLITTERHOUSE is short and concise but addictive all the way through. Don’t fear being bored or having to plow through an hour of dull set-ups; this stuff takes off like a bullet. Unlike many films that struggle with keeping the tension up until the end, here’s a fine example of a film that keeps burning fuse after fuse, never losing grip even once. With every turn of events, another surprise awaits us.
The power of nostalgia is an additional treat. There’s something irresistibly charming to that. The fast speech, the aspect ratio, the pristine black and white, the hats and suits and haircuts and classy dames, the cars, the stages, the ‘innocence’ of crime, words like ‘daffy’ … this is where the old phrase, “they don’t make ‘em like they used to”, makes perfect sense. In that respect I wouldn’t appreciate it if the film got remade; no modern version could deliver the magic, no matter how good it might be technically. The film doesn’t even have to be viewed in a time capsule. It doesn’t defy any modern sensibilities as far as I’m concerned.
THE AMAZING DR. CLITTERHOUSE is not typically considered a ‘Bogart’ movie since Bogart is always acting in the shadow of Robinson. But since I consider myself a Bogart fan, I’m both angry with myself for never having paid any attention to this one before, and thankful to @Birdleson for dropping this surprise gem in my lap. That said, Bogart in this film is like Benicio Del Toro in LICENCE TO KILL: one day he’ll be great, but he needs some more practice to find his footing. And don’t get me wrong now, Bogart is really good here and a lot better than Del Toro in ’89, but this isn’t Sam Spade or Rick Blaine yet. In fact, I’ve come to understand that Bogart himself called this one of his least favorite performances. Still, a Bogey fan I am and this is yet another one on my Bogart list to check off. (I was also pleased to catch Curt Bois from CASABLANCA.)
In summary, THE AMAZING DR. CLITTERHOUSE delivers what it promises: something amazing. About an hour and a half of a fast-paced, cerebral, interesting crime fantasy, not hampered by redundant love stories or pointless scenes. Cut to perfection. The immortal Max Steiner provided the score and Russian Anatole Litvak directed. Probably not everyone shall enjoy this film as much as I do, but I’m quite confident that if you’re not necessarily afraid of traveling back in time to explore some older movies, you might like this one.
Once again I must thank @Birdleson for the suggestion, and like him, I can only say: highly recommended.
Onto Prometheus.
Agreed. I'll be watching this one tomorrow.
Yikes! I shudder to think where the sequels will land starting out Alien at a 7! ;)
But yes, as RTB says, do check out Aliens next. Then Alien 3. Then Alien: Resurrection. All very different styles, all very worth seeing.