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Big Ben wrote: Fri Dec 21, 2018 11:09 pm

DarkImbecile wrote: Fri Dec 21, 2018 11:03 pm The 15:17 to Paris, as the "Best Borzage picture of 2018"

Y I K E S.

He also states Hereditary had jump scares. No it didn't?

And that Hereditary didn't know what it was about. Yes it did?

DarkImbecile wrote: Fri Dec 21, 2018 11:12 pm
And that Hereditary didn't know what it was about. Yes it did?

Yeah I have to say I was a little confused there too. I felt some folks felt the disconnect between certain very legitimate psychological elements and the supernatural elements created an identity crisis. That's a criticism I very much understand but it didn't bother me too much. I was as uncomfortable as I've ever been in a theater while watching Hereditary but for the right reasons.

Hereditary definitely did not have a "bunch of showy jump scares". Maybe he's confusing it with The Nun.

The 15:17 stans have eclipsed the prequel trilogy revisionists as the strangest internet film fandom I’ve seen. I don’t think it’s even that bad from the segments I’ve caught on HBO, but I don’t know what other people are seeing in it.

I have no idea what he's talking about in respect to the whole Borzage thing but The 15:17 would definitely be on my top 10 list (maybe even top 5) and it's been there since I first saw it. Had no idea I was part of some subterranean cult movement though. But, yes, I would disagree with him on Hereditary as well.

John Cope wrote: Fri Dec 21, 2018 11:51 pm I have no idea what he's talking about in respect to the whole Borzage thing but The 15:17 would definitely be on my top 10 list (maybe even top 5) and it's been there since I first saw it. Had no idea I was part of some subterranean cult movement though.

Please turn yourself in to the nearest deprogramming center as soon as possible.

In all seriousness, no one's wholeheartedly defended it here yet as far as I can tell, so I'd be curious to hear what you got out of it.

My defense was with my whole heart.

knives wrote: Wed Jul 11, 2018 2:23 am This is an utterly confusing film so it's understandable that it got such a poisonous reception, but I also feel some of it has been exaggerated...

If that sounds effusive, don't worry that I've gone crazy, the first section of the film is pretty objectively terrible if at least fascinatingly so. This section is full of a lot of trite polemics that are annoying on their face.

I’d hate to be the subject of your wholehearted criticism.

I can like films with flaws. I do think that the negative approach many have recently had against Eastwood is out of a refusal to meet him halfway. It's a complicated film to talk about because its aims aren't my cup of tea, but it is definitely an interesting film that should be treated more seriously and it remains one of my favorite of the year.

If I had to guess what he means by the Borzage comment, I think the idea of ordinary people being thrust into harrowing and heroic circumstances is portrayed in similar ways to some Borzage films like The Mortal Storm or History is Made at Night. It's a stretch, but kind of a fun comparison to make, in my opinion.

I think my biggest issues with the more recent Eastwood works is that he's been doing the opposite of what he used to do, revise or re-contextualize myth.

knives wrote: Sun Dec 23, 2018 12:44 am I can like films with flaws.

Oh, of course. Some of my all-time favorites are obviously flawed. I just would have defined ‘wholehearted’ differently.

Big Ben wrote: Sun Dec 23, 2018 1:01 am I think my biggest issues with the more recent Eastwood works is that he's been doing the opposite of what he used to do, revise or re-contextualize myth.

That's a fascinating criticism to me as I think he's still doing that and that's exactly what I like best about much of his work, especially The 15:17 which has rather profound connections in that regard to Flags of Our Fathers, easily among my favorite Eastwood films.

I agree. This wasn't a story of supermen, but very average people who were at the wrong place at the right time.

Looking at my comment I feel it's a little more hyperbolic than I intended. I'm referring more to things like American Sniper specifically rather than 15:17 which I felt was more comically inert than anything. For a film that bases it's premise on a very significant event everything that leads up to it is really dry although the action sequence itself is superb though. In this instance Eastwood made a far more realistic tale than the the utterly bizarre American Sniper but that doesn't mean a majority of what's there is compelling. And the reason I'm being specifically hard on this film is that only two years previously he made Sully which I thought was a great popcorn flick (Despite making the government a bigger asshole than it actually was.) which was also about a very brief yet significant event.

I love Eastwood but I cannot realistically all of his recent stuff is on the same level as say, Unforgiven or Letters from Iwo Jima.

I personally can love only his westerns, which are find time be his best movies by miles. I haven't really been interested in the things he's done lately, with Sully being just ok.

Not to be petty, but... My god, I miss having a president who reads for pleasure and even watches an occasional movie with subtitles.

I had no idea that Obama was something of a cinephile.

I hope some of my favorites like Hereditary, Lean on Pete, Isle of Dogs and Tully will be in Trump's list.

One of Trump's favorite films is Blood Sport and he thinks Citizen Kane portrays people like him in a good light. I'm not hoping for a deep artistic awakening anytime soon.

Dead or Deader wrote: Fri Dec 28, 2018 4:50 pm Barack Obama's favorite films of 2018.

Love the Courtney Barnett shout-out!

Talking of presidents and cinephilia, I always got a morbid kick out of the list of movies Nixon screened in the White House. (In fact I may have first seen that here...)

dustybooks wrote: Fri Dec 28, 2018 9:39 pm

Dead or Deader wrote: Fri Dec 28, 2018 4:50 pm Barack Obama's favorite films of 2018.

Love the Courtney Barnett shout-out!

She re-posted his list on Instagram too.

dustybooks wrote: Fri Dec 28, 2018 9:39 pmTalking of presidents and cinephilia, I always got a morbid kick out of the list of movies Nixon screened in the White House. (In fact I may have first seen that here...)

FWIW, Carter's and Clinton's are here.

Big Ben wrote: Fri Dec 28, 2018 7:56 pm One of Trump's favorite films is Blood Sport and he thinks Citizen Kane portrays people like him in a good light. I'm not hoping for a deep artistic awakening anytime soon.

If he'd said Kickboxer, I'd have thought better of him.