tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post2716766122187766566..comments2024-03-28T07:09:28.500+00:00Comments on The Speculative Scotsman: Top of the Scots 2011 | The Best MoviesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08713791516631476930noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post-76702284691446947792011-12-09T15:39:36.522+00:002011-12-09T15:39:36.522+00:00I actually really like the lens flare too, but it ...I actually really like the lens flare too, but it was funny because until it was mentioned yesterday I hadn't even paid attention to it in my two theater viewings. I watched the film again last night on DVD and was of course completely aware of them. And liked them a great deal. Is it necessary? No, but I still enjoy it.Carl V. Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15948764216438379394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post-84146293428840661152011-12-09T15:35:20.227+00:002011-12-09T15:35:20.227+00:00@James - I'm right there with you as regards T...@James - I'm right there with you as regards The Deathly Hallows' epilogue, incidentally. I mean, really? My only recourse has been to act like it didn't happen. Thus, I'll thank you if you agree to never mention it again. :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08713791516631476930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post-40531862269974931822011-12-09T15:32:29.566+00:002011-12-09T15:32:29.566+00:00@Harry - Wait, so you're saying Super 8 suffer...@Harry - Wait, so you're saying Super 8 suffers from Stephen King syndrome? Because that's exactly how I've felt about almost every Stephen King novel I've read: would have been, could have been, should have been brilliant, if only it hadn't had to have a haunted car in it, or some such thing.<br /><br />A worrying thought. But then I am a total sucker for lens flair, and as James says, no one does it better - wait, no, James said no one does it <i>more</i> - than J. J. Abrams. So there's that?<br /><br />Obviously I'm going have to watch Super 8 sooner rather than later; just going from the comments here, it seems to be quite the divisive picture. Needless to say I'm even more intrigued now that I had been.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08713791516631476930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post-36816367429282607942011-12-09T15:19:07.370+00:002011-12-09T15:19:07.370+00:00@Dan - Good catch on the missing link, mate.
I...@Dan - Good catch on the missing link, mate.<br /><br />I've got a screener of 50/50 here, actually; will give it a going-over shortly, on your say-so.<br /><br />But Paul? For what it was, sure, it was a fair bit of fun. Saying that, it was nowhere near as smart or as funny as I had hoped. I wasn't disappointed enough in it to tar Paul with the same brush as Red State, but I'll admit it did cross my mind. I can only hope these guys get their mojo back before I entirely forget why I expect so much of them in the first place.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08713791516631476930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post-53256335621697416802011-12-08T17:08:57.681+00:002011-12-08T17:08:57.681+00:00I though Super 8 was a fun film, if a bit on the d...I though Super 8 was a fun film, if a bit on the disappointing side. The side of the film that sees the kids attempting to film an indie zombie flick was strong enough to stand on its own and could have made an interesting, enjoyable movie. The monster aspect of the story was less explored and, because of this, weak. It came to dominate the second half of the film, interfering with the kid's filming and a lingering drama that had potential. Had it stuck to one or the other, the film could have turned out better. As it was, Super 8 was a pretty decent movie and I would watch it again, have already been tempted to watch it again. The biggest issue? Lens flare. Abrams has a problem and he needs help.<br /><br />---<br /><br />Thor was one of the better superhero adaptations released this year. Could it have been better? Hell yes, it could have. The romantic subplot is the weakest aspect of the film and should have been fleshed out so that the ending, which hangs on such a sentimental note, would have come across as significant instead of inauthentic. Otherwise, the film was a lot of fun and definitely enjoyable.<br /><br />Which is more than I can say for Captain America, which stands as my biggest disappointment of the year.<br /><br />I just watched Green Lantern a couple weeks ago and can't remember if I liked it. An ominous sign?<br /><br />---<br /><br />Harry Potter and the Wandering About the Woods Angsting (Part I) was one of the only movies I have seen this year that makes me regret having wasted my time watching it. I wondered how they were going to split the movie in half when such a large portion of the novel, the wandering about angsting slog, should have been cut down significantly, but then I discovered they just left it in. The worst of the Harry Potter films, which sounds about right since the last book was the worst of the lot.<br /><br />Harry Potter and The Homoerotic Subtext (Part II) was much better and, if one excludes that extremely creepy epilogue, is probably my favorite in the series. That said, no matter how good or strong it is is, Part II is still the second half of a film and that first half was an overlong, slow slog that makes me want to bang my head against a brick wall until I forget the experience of watching it.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16504273309594020933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post-47959038034486661102011-12-08T13:49:49.235+00:002011-12-08T13:49:49.235+00:00I disagree with Harry's assessment of the film...I disagree with Harry's assessment of the film, but I think it depends on largely what you bring to it. Super 8 is a film very much in the vein of films like Stand By Me or the Sandlot or ET. It is a film whose true focus is a group of young friends growing up in the 70's and the film has that focus. It is also a film about dealing with loss and the ending is just what it needed to be in order to address the issues the main character was going through. <br /><br />I admit to being a sucker for sentimental films and so if you don't like them you'll probably be disappointed. I for one still contend that it is the best film released this year in the SFF category and for me was the best film I've seen in the theater all year.Carl V. Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15948764216438379394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post-36071639516312466432011-12-08T09:01:26.610+00:002011-12-08T09:01:26.610+00:00I suspect you will find Super 8 to be a disappoint...I suspect you will find Super 8 to be a disappointment. It starts off promising, but loses that about halfway through. The saddest thing is that without any supernatural/science fiction/weird elements this would have been a very good movie, maybe even a great movie. However, the enjoyable characters, the fun of the amateur film being shot in the movie, and the tension between adults is quickly eclipsed by a rather stupid and boring alien plot. And it has one of the most wtf endings I have ever seen.Harrynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post-11813961409538868232011-12-07T18:51:38.781+00:002011-12-07T18:51:38.781+00:00It has been a bit of a lean year. Super 8 is far ...It has been a bit of a lean year. Super 8 is far and away my favorite movie of the year. I saw it twice in theaters and know for a fact that Santa will be putting a copy of it under my tree this Christmas.<br /><br />I found X-Men First Class disappointing, not because there was anything particularly wrong with it but because it felt like a rehash of the first X-Men film only with the characters being younger. I know that is a bit of an oversimplification, but it still felt like an origin story for a group of superheroes who we already have an origin story film for.Carl V. Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15948764216438379394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post-60520860994525154892011-12-07T18:06:55.932+00:002011-12-07T18:06:55.932+00:00Ah, ha! So I see you enjoyed DRIVE; I knew you wou...Ah, ha! So I see you enjoyed DRIVE; I knew you would. FYI, your Valhalla Rising review link doesn't work.<br />DRIVE has to be my favourite film of the year, bar none. As I say in my review, it is "... a beautifully produced action film that always has one foot to the floor and both hands firmly on the wheel."<br /><br />As for other entertainments, PAUL, X-MEN FIRST CLASS, and 50/50 all managed to impress or entertain, with 50/50 perhaps being the strongest of the bunch.<br />I also found Thor to be decent, but not what people wanted it to be. It's just a fun, above-average superhero popcorn flick that had a weird directing choice (Kenneth Branaugh, w/ Joss Whedon directing the after-credits scene that Marvel has became infamous for).<br /><br />I haven't yet seen Terrence Malick's new film, but I plan to. I'm a big fan of his previous works and his directing style, and I honestly don't think he gets enough commercial love for the stuff he makes.<br /><br />I'm sorry to say Niall, that SUPER 8, was to me, a yawning disappointment that had a lot of potential, at least to begin with. It'll be interesting to hear your thoughts on it.Dan Goodmanhttp://danieljeffreygoodman.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com