What Movie Did You Just Watch

[Foggle]

Can't get with anyone who thinks Birdman is pretentious or self-indulgent. I thought it was absolutely brilliant and had a lot to say about depression and self-worth/loathing.

I haven't seen many of the best picture nominees last year, more out of laziness than any spite, but one thing putting me off watching Birdman in particular was an interview from Inarritu about how genre movies were cultural genocide. It's the kind of talk that turns me away from viewing, because I can't stand that level of snobbery from filmmakers who think they're better because they've never made any science fiction.

Yeah, it's a pretty dickish, stupid, and borderline offensive thing to say. At the same time, I can kind of see where he's coming from, though I think Simon Pegg worded it much better (if still too mean-spiritedly) earlier this year.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Like I said, I appreciated Birdman as a film, but couldn't relate to it on a personal level. I don't see what's so nuts about that.

But on that note: Whiplash >>>>>>>>>>>> Birdman

As for the director's comments, do I agree with them? Not particularly. But I'm not going to get all worked up over one guy's opinion. The way that he seems to come off as superior for his taste in hating the genre IS very asinine, though. He fails to realize that this "cultural genocide" is merely just a generational trend that's always been there. Every era has its equivalent of the popcorn movie. In the 50's it was B Monster Movies, in the 60's it was Westerns. Today it just happens to be Superhero movies. Twenty years from now, it'll probably be some other trend. It doesn't mean that it's killing movies, or the chance for people to make truly artistic films. Hell, even films in those aforementioned genres can still break the mold and occasionally produce works of artistic merit. For Westerns, just look at the works of Sergio Leone, for example.

[Avaitor]

I don't agree with Inarritu's cultural genocide remark, but to be fair, Robert Downey Jr had a shitty response to the line, himself.

I give Birdman credit for sticking to its experiment, and mostly succeeding at it. But I don't like much of anything about it. No line of dialogue worked me me, most of the acting left me flat, and I came out completely uninterested. Maybe not as much as I did for Foxcatcher, but I felt no love for this movie.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

That and Inglorious Basterds are like the only two Tarantino films that have ever appealed to me.

Come to think of it, Christoph Waltz was in both of those. Hmmmm....

[gunswordfist]

Kill Bill is still the best Tarantino film to me. It's so beautiful I cry every time

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I actually enjoyed the first Sinister a few years ago. It's a very flawed horror film, but it had some nice ideas and the execution by Scott Derrickson combined with Ethan Hawke's excellent acting is what made it work. Now both of them are off doing other things (Derrickson is directing Doctor Strange for Marvel), and it really shows in how easily the second film fell apart. I'm not surprised, though. Horror sequels rarely ever work, to begin with.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

The people who didn't like Birdman probably didn't have a problem with the themes that the movie tackled, but rather the execution of the movie, itself. Just my guess.

[Avaitor]

Maybe the people who don't like Birdman... just don't like Birdman.

[Avaitor]

Fair enough, I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions.

Actually, the Voices looks pretty interesting. I should add that to queue.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

You know, I've been wanting to do a list of my top 10 favorite movie shoot-outs for a while, now, but there are a few famous films that I still need to watch for consideration. Most notably Heat, A Better Tomorrow 2, and The Wild Bunch. The problem is finding them. Netflix has failed me three times in a row.

[Foggle]

Shit, I thought I remembered seeing Heat and The Wild Bunch on Netflix... Hate when they remove films for no reason.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

The funny thing is that they'd probably still be available almost anywhere else. Netflix of America seems to have a hard-on for removing awesome classic movies that I specifically want to see.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I don't have them here, either.

[gunswordfist]

Pacino's Heat? Between Netflix having nothing and Hulu's ads, streaming movie watchers are fucked.

[Dr. Insomniac]

Watched The Killer, and I thought it was really fun. It was style that became substance, and I was enthralled by Ah Jong's hitman-with-a-heart character.

Then I watched the new Fantastic Four. Other than completely hating it, I must ask, what was Dr. Doom's plan? He wanted to destroy Earth in order to protect his planet even though his own world was a desolate wasteland? Why does he want to be a god of a barren planet? I don't get it.