Re: Random Thoughts

[tokenBG1009]

The Cowboys and Bills lost this weekend. It was a good weekend.

[Anna Raven]

The Cowboys and Bills lost this weekend. It was a good weekend.

Grrrr!

[Anna Raven]

So a couple weeks back I appeared on a video game stream variety stream called Back Pocket. Usually it's a shown where they talk about games and play various games. But over Christmas break they change the show up and get the fans on the show on for a video game themed game show. Only a lucky few can appear on the show and Inwas lucky enough to get on the second episode.

If anyone is interested you can check it out on Twitch here: https://www.twitch.tv/back_pocket/v/169 ... r=a&t=321s

I'm Dump Daze on there. It's the name of my webcomic

It will eventually be on YouTube but most of their staff are on holiday at the moment

Congrats! Let us know when it's on YouTube!!

[Cable]

If Everything Everywhere All At Once doesn't win Best Picture then there is no justice in this world. It isn't just the best movie of the year, it might be the best movie I've ever seen.

[Blackcyclops]

If Everything Everywhere All At Once doesn't win Best Picture then there is no justice in this world. It isn't just the best movie of the year, it might be the best movie I've ever seen.

Wow…I liked it alot but it’s no Parasite, for me anyway. I still find myself thinking about that film. It’s the one of the few modern Best Picture Winners that I can rewatch. 12 Years a Slave is one of my favorite films but it makes me too angry and it just makes me feel so much anguish that I’ve only rewatched it twice since I first saw it in theaters.

I do want the movie to win but there is a part of me that wants Top Gun to win just to make all the film snobs mad lol

[Spectral Knight]

I enjoyed it, but it certainly wouldn't be the best movie I've ever seen.

Then again, I've reiterated my disdain for the Oscars and how regularly a number of their choices have next to no appeal for me.

Of this year's Best Picture list, I've seen two (that and Elvis), still want to watch Avatar 2, and might end up watching The Banshees of Inisherin as Mrs SK keeps going on about it.

Which as a hit rate, is about consistent with my viewing figures for best picture nominations.

[Blackcyclops]

I mean they included Top Gun, Avatar and Elvis this year…all actually popular films. That’s kind of unheard of for them.

I kinda have no idea what kind of things you would like SK lol

[BardicOne]

Competitive Power Slapping in 2023. Just Why. Why. I need that Archer meme. "You want Brain Damage? This is how you get Brain Damage!"

[Spectral Knight]

I mean they included Top Gun, Avatar and Elvis this year…all actually popular films. That’s kind of unheard of for them.

I kinda have no idea what kind of things you would like SK lol

I don't mind that. The amount of times somebody has said, "you should watch this movie, you'll love it", and I've found it to be a steaming pile of shite means I'm quite content at being such a mystery in terms of cinematic tastes.

[Cable]

Parasite didn't live up to the hype for me. That is how I know Everything Everywhere All At Once is extraordinary. It had already been hyped up to me as being amazing, so I went in to it with a scoffing attitude. I then watched it on a plane, with no sound, while trying to put a baby to sleep. And it was STILL one of the best movies I have ever seen. I then hyped it to my wife who went in skeptical and when we watched it at home she came out agreeing with me. One of those movies that we just dissected over and over again afterwards. When you can go into a movie with sky high expectations and it still surpasses them, that is a damn good movie.

If a pop movie has to win I will definitely take Top Gun over the terrible Avatar 2.

[Blackcyclops]

@Cable: amen…if Avatar wins I’d be more pissed than anything. If we’re going to give the award to a blockbuster than there’s no way Avatar 2 is better than Peak Marvel or Matt Reeves’ Batman. Like no f***ing way.

[das_boot]

If Everything Everywhere All At Once doesn't win Best Picture then there is no justice in this world. It isn't just the best movie of the year, it might be the best movie I've ever seen.

It’s been a LONG time since I’ve seen a movie that made me laugh and cry as hard as this movie.

Honestly, the world of hot dog fingers alone was enough

[Milkshake08]

They've been nominating "popular" film for Best Picture for the past several years, supposedly to draw in viewers. It doesn't work. Top Gun and Avatar for sure should not be nominated. I don't care how enjoyable they are, they aren't paragons of film. I personally would go with EEAOO. I think the emotional core of that film, being a mother/daughter relationship and also being about how "nothing matters" unless we CHOOSE it to matter, is a wonderful, beautiful theme and was delivered really well. I hope Hsu wins supporting actress. I kinda want the movie to sweep the acting noms, although there are a lot of good performances in all categories this year. 16 first time nominees!

Bad cinematography noms...where the hell was Nope or The Woman King? No best song nom for Matilda either.

[Spectral Knight]

I don't care how enjoyable they are, they aren't paragons of film.

This is my grief with the Oscars in general. Enjoyment should at least be a consideration.

I get there are some films that aren't 'enjoyable' to watch in terms of fun that are still great films (American History X is an outstanding film, but it's not a fun ride), but I think too many films that are FUN aren't given enough critical praise, because of elitist snobbery.

There are prior Best Picture films I've genuinely really enjoyed and amongst my favs (Forest Gump, Rocky, King's Speech) but some movies that have had critical adoration as either winners or nominations as paragons of film are actually... just a bit shit.

My favourite ever film got one nomination for special effects, and lost. So, yeah. What do critics know that I don't.

[Blackcyclops]

I do agree with you on that SK. That’s why it’s funny to think about the Oscars in terms of inclusivity when the entire point of the awards is to be exclusive.

[Cable]

My favourite ever film got one nomination for special effects, and lost. So, yeah. What do critics know that I don't.

To be clear though Academy Awards are not decided by critics, they are decided by people who make movies. You always wonder how much "oh I know so and so and will vote for them" goes on.

[Spectral Knight]

Yeah, but... you know what I meant.

Also, I should say most of my criticism of the awards are generally about the Best Picture nominations/winners. Some of the other categories don't seem to be as elitist, or at least make a lot more sense.

[Blackcyclops]

Yeah, but... you know what I meant.

Also, I should say most of my criticism of the awards are generally about the Best Picture nominations/winners. Some of the other categories don't seem to be as elitist, or at least make a lot more sense.

I’d say Best Pic and Director, do have an elitist feel to them. Even when it’s a film I loved/liked, I still feel that way.

[Milkshake08]

Plenty of "enjoyable" films deserve noms, but I wouldn't say Top Gun Maverick or Avatar 2 are among those....like, Up and Toy Story 3 got nominated for Best Picture and deserved it. I would even somewhat give Black Panther its nomination. All the Lord of the Rings got nominated for Best Picture. It's not that they never deserve it (and I think comedy, horror, and action get shut out of the noms a lot), I just don't think these two do. Granted, I don't think Elvis or Women Talking do either. I would've put Nope and The Woman King in there, or maybe Till.

[Spectral Knight]

Plenty of "enjoyable" films deserve noms, but I wouldn't say Top Gun Maverick or Avatar 2 are among those....like, Up and Toy Story 3 got nominated for Best Picture and deserved it. I would even somewhat give Black Panther its nomination. All the Lord of the Rings got nominated for Best Picture. It's not that they never deserve it (and I think comedy, horror, and action get shut out of the noms a lot), I just don't think these two do. Granted, I don't think Elvis or Women Talking do either. I would've put Nope and The Woman King in there, or maybe Till.

Personal view only but I think Up is probably over-rated. Sure, the Carl and Ellie stuff is fantastic but the film resorted to silly animals and whilst Dug is of course adorable, the stuff with Kevin is a bit daft.

If ever an animated Disney picture deserved to win best picture it was Wall-E. Some of the cinematography in that is outstanding.

[Milkshake08]

Before they separated animated films, I think there were only three total that got nominated for best picture (Beauty and the Beast, Up, and Toy Story 3). So they get shut out too unfortunately. I agree that Up is a bit overrated, but I also haven't seen it since it was released in theaters...I'm one of those rare people that isn't very into Pixar films for the most part. I really liked Inside Out, Finding Nemo, Toy Story films, and A Bug's Life, but the rest are pretty take or leave for me.

[Cable]

Plenty of "enjoyable" films deserve noms, but I wouldn't say Top Gun Maverick or Avatar 2 are among those....like, Up and Toy Story 3 got nominated for Best Picture and deserved it. I would even somewhat give Black Panther its nomination. All the Lord of the Rings got nominated for Best Picture. It's not that they never deserve it (and I think comedy, horror, and action get shut out of the noms a lot), I just don't think these two do. Granted, I don't think Elvis or Women Talking do either. I would've put Nope and The Woman King in there, or maybe Till.

Personal view only but I think Up is probably over-rated. Sure, the Carl and Ellie stuff is fantastic but the film resorted to silly animals and whilst Dug is of course adorable, the stuff with Kevin is a bit daft.

If ever an animated Disney picture deserved to win best picture it was Wall-E. Some of the cinematography in that is outstanding.

You've gone mad. Up is top 5 Disney movies ever. Wall-E is not even close.

[Spectral Knight]

Before they separated animated films, I think there were only three total that got nominated for best picture (Beauty and the Beast, Up, and Toy Story 3). So they get shut out too unfortunately. I agree that Up is a bit overrated, but I also haven't seen it since it was released in theaters...I'm one of those rare people that isn't very into Pixar films for the most part. I really liked Inside Out, Finding Nemo, Toy Story films, and A Bug's Life, but the rest are pretty take or leave for me.

I'm not a fan of A Bug's Life, to the point I dont really remember if at all. Like its essentially Antz but in blue, right?
There's some Pixar films I think are great (All the Toy Story movies, but particularly 2 and 3), WALL-E (shhh, Cable), Inside Out, Coco and Onward are my favourites. Oddly, Pixar sequels can often be better than their debuts, Cars is ego orientated crap compared to Cars 2 and 3 (the third is probably my favourite), Finding Dory is on the whole probably better than Finding Nemo, and whilst I still have a soft spot for the first Toy Story, the 2nd and 3rd were just that bit sharper and knowing in terms of the humour whilst still hitting the feels.

You've gone mad. Up is top 5 Disney movies ever. Wall-E is not even close.

What?! It's great. A hilarious attack on mega capitalism, an ecological warning, a dismissal of laziness and lack of endeavour, and honestly, a really sweet love story too. WALL-E has so many layers to it, and for a lead character who barely has any dialogue at all, it's masterful in how much personality he exhibits. It's brilliant animation and visual storytelling.

[Cable]

What?! It's great. A hilarious attack on mega capitalism, an ecological warning, a dismissal of laziness and lack of endeavour, and honestly, a really sweet love story too. WALL-E has so many layers to it, and for a lead character who barely has any dialogue at all, it's masterful in how much personality he exhibits. It's brilliant animation and visual storytelling.

To each their own I guess. I find it to be vapid environmentalism and a romance between inanimate objects. The storytelling without dialogue is impressive though I will agree.

I also agree that the first Cars is actually the weakest. However the correct Toy Story order is 3, 1, 2, 4.

[Blackcyclops]

I’m going to make a controversial statement: Nope and The Woman King to me have the mirror problem of films like Women Talking or Western Front (I never saw Elvis so can’t speak on it). They’re movies that because or their particular subjects, get overhyped by some well meaning people trying to signal a particular set of ideas about themselves.

Nope was good. But not that good. In fact, it’s far inferior to Get Out and not as strong as Us (which I didn’t care for but saw it’s merits). The Warrior King is pretty good but gets alot of love because of who it’s about and who made it. Now Till? That to me was like The Whale: a decent film with an out of this world performance in it.

EEAO was miles and above better than all those films and was enjoyable. The only other film out of the list that I think comes close to it in terms if filmmaking is The Fabelmans but Spielberg has enough accolades. Now as far as films as fun as EEAO, Top Gun was super fun but not as great a film and The Banshees of Inisherin. I admit I had super low expectations of that one but found myself feeling pleasantly satisfied by it. But it’s still not as good as EEAO. And Avatar 2 was just not good or enjoyable and fudge Cameron.