Movie/film thread: resurrected

I can't get away with Hunger Games, it's like Twilight I just constantly have the feeling of 'Why should I care about these beautiful young people?'

I prefer Running Man or Rollerball where you have big men killing each other. Surely that's what people would want to see if they started making gladiator shows, big tough trained killers fighting each other, not hot 16 - 20 year olds

Not all of them were "hot 16 - 20 year olds" Many were much older and almost all were well trained to not only defend themselves, but kill with expertise. I found this one less cerebral than the first one

Hunger Games - Catching Fire

IT WAS LIKE WATCHING THE BOOK AND WATCHING THE FIRST MOVIE ALL OVER AGAIN!!!

But better.


I watched a fairly good cam version as filmed in China, complete with nonstop audience talking, telephone calls, and abrupt, possibly censorious edits. And some dude sitting next to the camera eating. There was a unpleasantly wonderful meta-moment during a night scene where Katniss is on watch inside the arena. She sits in the dark, alert, and some guy is talking on his phone, and she's looking around for the noise.

Actually, the first meta-moment occurred right at the start. Katniss is crouched by her home town lake, some dude walks into the cinema late and throws his silhouette up on screen and Katniss spins and draws an arrow on him.

Shall watch again when some good copy comes into existence. I thought this move better than the first - more dramatically compelling.

My Neighbour is also sick of hearing me say that I'd hate to see any of the young folk today in a war zone.

Coming soon, just for Granny Mae - Senior Wars! 

Now we'll get final proof if old age and treachery truly are superior to youth and skill.

Yeah, I know that I sound like an old bat EL, but if you were able to sit in the shopping centres here and watch many of the young folk, as a general rule, the words youth and skill would not be combined, particularly in a battle zone. I would however admit that they could use their thumbs far better than the majority of we old farts.

"One Chance" is the true story of Paul Potts, a shy, bullied shop assistant with a talent for singing Opera. He became an instant YouTube phenomenon after appearing on Britain's Got Talent. Even if you are not an Opera fan, you would appreciate this young man being able to achieve his wish to sing.

If you want a laugh, "The Delivery Man" starring Vince Vaughn is not too bad. He finds out that he has fathered 533 children through anonymous donations to a fertility clinic 20 yrs ago. There were some males in the theatre and they were having a laugh, so it is probably ok for the guys as well.

"One Chance" is the true story of Paul Potts, a shy, bullied shop assistant with a talent for singing Opera. He became an instant YouTube phenomenon after appearing on Britain's Got Talent. Even if you are not an Opera fan, you would appreciate this young man being able to achieve his wish to sing.

I remember him, I've never seen him live but that clip where he's singing Nessun Dorma in a pub is amazing

Thor: The Dark World...it was interesting...can't wait what they will think of next. Jormungand will be a submarine? Maybe the Fenris Wolf can be a spaceship?

Bicycle Parkour

Road Bike Party 1
Road Bike Party 2

Just watched "The Desolation of Smaug" and it was good. Ok, yes, some liberties have been taken with the original material but so what? Legolas has a gf who fancies dwarves and there is a bad-ass Orc running around. All good. As for the dragon...many times Hollywood has attempted to make a dragon and failed but in Smaug they came through. Dyed-in-the-wool Tolkien fanatics will undoubtedly have a field-day pointing out in how many ways this movie is different from the novel. I have read the novel, many times, good fantasy albeit somewhat dated, but simply fantasy nonetheless. One thing I did realize whilst watching it...Tolkien's elves are thoroughly unlikeable.

One thing I did realize whilst watching it...Tolkien's elves are thoroughly unlikeable.

I really liked the elves in the books when I was a kid, they were aloof from the rest of the world but that was because the world was such a mess. I don't really like them in the films either, they are sort of camp and snobby, more like aristocratic humans than ancient mystical beings...
I read the books when I was about 10 so it might be that...

As far  the elves are concerned, everyone else is snot nosed little kid.

Me too. I think most kids like the elves. I remember when I was a kid, during the roleplaying sessions (Yeah, that's right. D&D, AD&D, Warhammer, Forgotten Realms, Star Wars, I played them all and I liked it. I only stopped when I went to China and my friends didn't. Anyone want to make nerd-jokes, go ahead, roleplaying was the best tool for keeping the imagination alive) elves were always the favourite characters. They were agile, had better fighting skills, all that. Tolkien's elves are cool enough in battle, but they do spend a lot of time make overtly dramatic speeches and plainly being drama queens. The sun rises in the east and is a bit orange..."A red sun rises. Blood has been spilled this night", yep, you need a reddish sun to tell you that, not the war party of Uruk-Hai and the Ring-Wraiths milling about the place? In Hobbit 2, when the Elf King is prancing about his palace, you really want to slap him. "A century is but a drop in the ocean for an elf. I am patient". Good, excellent, one can only assume that the elves must have patience, it must take forever to shampoo, rinse, condition, rinse repeat ad infinitum that shiny long hair. The dwarves just want to go home and he throws them in jail. True, they all live forever, but that is no reason for them to be utterly douchy.

"Anchor Man 2: The Legend Continues". I don't know if it is just me, but I really can't understand why anyone would waste their time seeing it, especially if they had seen any Will Ferrell movies before, which I haven't. I have a very good sense of humour, but he did little for me. They are even using film of him now, at one of our theatres, to ask people to switch off their phones. All I can think is "I wonder how much he is being paid?".

Uhmm...a lot, Granny, just figure that it is a lot...

Me too. I think most kids like the elves. I remember when I was a kid, during the roleplaying sessions (Yeah, that's right. D&D, AD&D, Warhammer, Forgotten Realms, Star Wars, I played them all and I liked it.

There's a complete set of AD&D 2nd Edition rule books in my personal library here (along with more than enough assorted dice).  Find a few more nerds and come visit DG sometime.