[Closed] Recent Viewing Part III

I think in the last season they made a point about The Dark Passenger being his excuse to kill, and him coming to terms with that. I think up to that point we felt like Dexter's urges were just that; urges. Natural, instinctive. But I like where they took it in the last season, where we see Dexter wanting to kill. They shifted the focus more on the desire than the need. Which was a good decision by the writers since it keeps things interesting, and feels like a step in the right direction for the development of his character.

Then again, I like my TV shows dark and bleak, so I guess I would say that. (Unless of course it's Firefly.)

I wonder if the Prinzsesz still reads your reviews?

I don't think she does either, I don't think I've ever seen anyone on any forum who is so precious about somebody they do not know personally.

Christian used to post at our former board ( ScoreReviews ) but he fell out with people.

Judging from the ScoreBoard Christian has resorted to non-reaction rather than getting angry in public. However, it's not my place to say anything about that. While I do not agree with every single review he has written, Christian certainly is one of the most knowledgeable guys I have come across so far when it comes to film music.
On another note: I would love some more activity over at moviemusic.uk. Jonathan? Do you copy?
And while I'm at it: Anyone knows anything about cinemusic.net or goldenscores.com ?

Volker

I watched PROMETHEUS again -- on my father's 50'' TV, on Bluray and in 3D. God, it's so beautiful. A fantastic film, my favourite from last year.

Of course, it does have a few warts, the most obvious -- to me -- being the fact that they bothered to have Guy Pearce in old man's make-up when there really wasn't any reason to (you never see him as young). Why not just hire an old guy for the role?

Ridley Scott's films are always beautiful to look at.

In a way, I would agree. I think Scott is actually capable of combining form and function into one. As in, I haven't really witnessed a meaningless shot in his films, granted, he has some single shots that are rather atmospheric than propelling the story forward (I could argue about the whole ship introduction in Alien, when the camera is slowly going through the ship until finally settling for the hibernation chamber; or the overhead hover of Osaka after Charlie's death in Black Rain, though that one actually also introduces the next day) while using music for emotional purposes. In other ways, Ridley does use visuals to convey pure atmosphere or pure emotion, but usually he doesn't make shots that aren't "interested" in the storytelling at all.

I mean, let's look at the first shot of Gladiator. As much as I've seen almost everything directed by the guy (Prometheus not yet, Robin Hood not yet and I yet missed out on Legend and Someone to Watch Over Me) and this is something he's been always master of, what I call the Ridley Magic of First Shot. My favourite is actually Gladiator and by that I mean the "hand in the wheat" (to those interested, using the Lisa Gerrard piece was Hans' idea, "as a gift to Ridley", Scott wanted it silent). It builds an atmosphere, it creates the film world, and yet...

The image proves very relevant later in the story.

Robin Hood is PANTS!!!!

Try making an excuse for that one.

So is PROMETHEUS no matter how pretty it looks!

-Erik-

I do wish he'd use those visuals to create a truly interesting dramatic idea though. (e.g. when I see similarly pretty sculpted imagery in say, a Malick film or a Wong Kar Wai film or a Jacques Audiard film, that imagery very often will feel like a curious or apposite choice for what is being depicted. With Scott's modern films -- Blade runner is a very different kettle of fish -- I rarely get the feeling I will get from those guys films.)

My favourite image from PROMETHEUS, the one that stayed in my head and which I wish had been closer to how the film worked, was a dolly advancing into Meredith Vickers room on a dutch tilt with the lighting flickering in and out and imagery of a young girl playing violin on a screen in the background. The frame within the frame stayed with me. Moments later a woman found a monster on the other side of a door and it went back to being a perfectly unambitious attempt to scare.

Yeah, the Vicker escape pod is a fantastic piece of artwork. Lots of things going on at the same time there. In fact, there are a few "tableaux" like this throughout the film.

Have you seen the "Jonathan" segment from the anthology film ALL THE INVISIBLE CHILDREN (2005) -- directed by Ridley and his daughter Jordan? It's probably as close as he has been to a pure arthouse film in recent years and I felt it was clearly visible which parts were his and which were his daughter.

Different Christian Tim

Just saw the restored Bluray of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA on my dad's TV. Wow, that's just insane. Stunning resolution that allows me to see the film in a whole other light, with a bunch of different details and textures I hadn't seen before -- like the glittering in the sand, the sandy winds, the cracks of the mountains etc.

1977

After whatching Saturday Night Fever again after a number of years (still a great film btw) I just realized how many of my favourite films came out in 1977:

ABBA – The Movie
Airport ‘77
Black Sunday
The Brothers Lionheart (Sweden)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Damnation Alley
Demon Seed
Jabberwocky
McArthur
New York, New York
Pete’s Dragon
The Rescuers
Saturday Night Fever
Star Wars

I was 6 years old then. I saw The Rescuers. Maybe the first film ever I have seen in theatre.

Volker