|
Post by Pavan on May 27, 2020 5:30:39 GMT
|
|
|
Post by DeepArcher on May 30, 2020 18:55:21 GMT
This feels like an important addition to this thread:
|
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,148
Likes: 1,558
|
Post by Nikan on Jun 6, 2020 18:10:17 GMT
This feels like an important addition to this thread: The quality of this channel reaches new heights with every new output. Thank you.
|
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,148
Likes: 1,558
|
Post by Nikan on Jun 6, 2020 19:03:10 GMT
So, another thing that I'd invite all of you to do in this thread is to share particular scenes that stand out for you and write about them with as much detail as you want. We all do this- counting our favorite scenes "of jump scares" for example or those little moments that touch us- anyway... in separated threads. So why not have a chunk of them in one? It could be really useful to break down more precisely what each of us think about 'good cinema' and then what do we mean when we say the direction of some movie or certain actor in that role was great. I choose a scene I've watched recently that has stick with me and (trying) to write about it was the only way for me to 'get it out'. It's from the finale of Peaky Blinders' season ONE so, major spoilers for anyone who wants to watch this show someday. I thought the first season of Peaky was very good. This scene also was very exciting... but not from start to finish in my humble opinion. I generally like the scene and how it sorts the conflict at the center (more gangster movies have to finish one-on-one style I think; also love that the shot at 2:00 mirrors the one at 4:02), but I can point to three directional choices that almost put me off: 1. The first full minute. They clearly wanted to make a badass bit. Done-to-the-death group shots of foes walking towards each other (Fine) but what is that rock song playing in the background? It is nothing new and, wait for it, Tarantino is the first name that comes to mind when I wanna find the bastards that overdid this so many times... It can't always work and, if you remember the rather personal bit that came before this (Tommy thinking out loud in the bar, whispering) and how that added to the seriousness of the situation they're suddenly in (facing Kimb's gang), it felt like the wrong stylistic choice to make here. Weird, but 30 seconds later that music starts to 'roar' again it doesn't bother me as much. Could be because of the reveal of the stolen gun? do we have an actual reason for rock and roll now? ... 2. 02:06 - 03:06: Ida's interruption kills the tension. Really brought me out of the scene; like Nevil Longbuttom's speech in front of Voldemort. I get it's place in the story; but somehow I feel it's less-than-great to be... actually witnessed. The affair gets better once Kim shots Tommy HOLY SHIT... 3... Until 3:15-3:30 comes up. Those damned Slow-moes. I thought their (way lamer) use ruined the majority of Sherlock and I feel they don't help here either. Again, I *get* what are they going for (With all those flashbacks, we know Danny's death matters personally, even psychologically, to Tommy) but...why can't they do it The Departed style? fast, bloody and heart-pumping? Does anybody feel the same in regards to the points made here or I'm talking entirely out of my butt? And again, any personal take or topic that you share here is much appreciated.
|
|
|
Post by pacinoyes on Jun 6, 2020 19:46:58 GMT
Love stuff like this - great idea/great thread.......here's one from a guy I could do this all day with - Brian De Palma for Dressed To Kill (1980) - spoilers
If De Palma had his way he would never have dialog - he'd just have set pieces like this - and actors would be props to movie around which is why when he gets to work with a great actor you better be on the same page as him or it'll blow up in your face because he needs someone to fill in the blanks. Here he is positively brilliant with how he suggests violence and uses environment/space and plays with our perceptions of all of it:
Nanny Allen argues with the cop - who knows she's a hooker - is annoyed with her and yet he's the one protecting her (they "speak" without speaking)....as the camera pans around the subway car - we see the danger she's in and we notice everything we are shown:
How Allen seems cramped in her seat .......the instructions and signs on doors etc - the killer was clearly visible to us but not focused on - you could miss the killer but that's not a cheat. Then at other the times the killer is out of our view/missing....the cop leaves.....and now there's danger #2....she runs.....then there's danger number #3 (the killer): the camera switches perspective again - so far we have seen a general perspective, hers, the cops, the lights go on and off (again masking what we "can" see) then.......the gang sees the threat of what we saw before when no one saw any danger at all (not even Nancy Allen!).
The camera shoots inside the car, from the subway platform (through glass), between two doors (through glass), the perspectives are always changing,and so is the context. This is exhibit A in what you'd want a young film student to know about tension and suspense, De Palma's juggling an awful lot of things here.
|
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,148
Likes: 1,558
|
Post by Nikan on Jun 14, 2020 14:07:10 GMT
This made me wanna check out more of these three ladies:
|
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,148
Likes: 1,558
|
Post by Nikan on Jul 21, 2020 18:55:33 GMT
If you're interested in Animation or Arts in general:
|
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,148
Likes: 1,558
|
Post by Nikan on Sept 27, 2020 12:11:42 GMT
Nerdwriter has a new video out on Anthony Soprano! makes you missing the man honestly.
|
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,148
Likes: 1,558
|
Post by Nikan on Oct 8, 2020 14:34:09 GMT
Daily reminder: you can watch a good movie for the fourth time and still experience it through a different perspectve: What a screenplay. What performances.
|
|
|
Post by Pavan on Oct 24, 2020 8:03:33 GMT
LED panels instead of green screen. Meet 'The Volume', the future of special effects filmmaking.
|
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,148
Likes: 1,558
|
Post by Nikan on Oct 24, 2020 8:54:47 GMT
Fun if you're into the historical and cultural accuracies in modern adaptations. or Mulan.
|
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,148
Likes: 1,558
|
Post by Nikan on Oct 28, 2020 7:36:11 GMT
This speaks for itself.
|
|
|
Post by pacinoyes on Nov 27, 2020 20:51:53 GMT
A mission statement:
|
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,148
Likes: 1,558
|
Post by Nikan on Nov 28, 2020 10:36:51 GMT
The never-ending war The first kind of film which David describes briefly I'm on board with, the second... not so much. Specially these days that I'm into classics more than ever. Instantly thinking about Brakhage here (and I liked couple of his shorts; the act of seeing with one's own eyes specially; but there you DID have an idea of what's going on more or less). Someone in his IMDb review recommended to watch his work under the influence or with Radiohead playing in the background (!)... It is refreshing to some degree to participate in the experience and not to be a "passive" viewer (are we ever though?) but how long does that enjoyment / provocation lasts anyway? "But you see! it's not meant to last!", the artist might say with a victorious grin... and 'making money not being #1 priority' adds to the nobility of his intentions I guess... but then, why should the film be *this* long exactly? or short for that matter? (When there is absolutely no clear point. A or progression to B, story-wise)... so many questions line up with this approach... and they don't matter much at the end of the day it seems. I better not feel robbed of my investment (be it money or time or energy) because this thing has already won. It exists for the sake of existing... get outta here I say.
|
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,148
Likes: 1,558
|
Post by Nikan on Mar 16, 2021 16:54:52 GMT
A moment of reflection...
|
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,148
Likes: 1,558
|
Post by Nikan on Apr 1, 2021 10:34:32 GMT
"Nobody's gonna Buffalo Me."
Decades of imitations (in storylines, parodies etc.) and I found the kid punchable as much as the next guy (Imagine watching this right after Margaret O'Brien's work in Meet Me in St. Louis... Oh the difference!) ... but no one can deny that Shane still has it's moments. This one in particular shook me the most:
0:06 - 0:55 : This... picks your attention. In one ominous long shot, people arrive. One demands something, one warns and one refuses to listen. We're in. 1:36 - 2:17 : Differences in height, power and status, "visualized". They start to have their friendly chat in 1:59, but this scene could've gone longer without words and I'd be as engaged. 2:18 - Classic placement of actors cuts the shot (almost) in half. Enjoy the acting... 2:55 - 3:12 : The nasty shot. Everyone freeze until Palance leaves. 3:15 : Poor Swede will drag off his friend as witnesses agree upon a conclusion. The end, plus a mean laughter.
Sam Peckinpah has said of the scene, "When Jack Palance shot Elisha Cook Jr. in Shane... things started to change."
|
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,148
Likes: 1,558
|
Post by Nikan on Apr 2, 2021 8:18:34 GMT
I had watched Howard’s End years ago and remembered nothing of the story… but what did stay me were some peculiarly strong moments. Redgraves longing eyes, the beautiful surroundings…and specially this scene with all the contradictory feelings it evoked back then in silly me.
0:02-0:15 – There are examples of much “flashier” direction in other period pieces I’m sure – here, a decision on simply where to put the camera makes all the difference in the mood (there’s the music too of course). Thompson is set to be wowed by the beauty of the house, and we are seeing enough to understand it – but the camera (in this bit and what follows) is in front of the characters and not behind them. We don’t “share” their exact view – we are in for something else…and it will be revealed in a moment. 0:15 – 0:30 – “This is the ballroom.” Again, we don’t see it. It doesn’t matter. Nervousness grows… 0:35 – 0:50 – Hopkins starts to get to the point, while Thompson (knowingly?) accommodates… them going down the stairs (rather say, going UP) has to be intentional too… as if she’s walking into the belly of the beast. 0:50 – 1:36 – “Just how high this ceiling must be? “… have to mention by the way that these are still two of my favorite performances from both of them. 1:37 – 1:50 – Hopkins enters her space to drop the bomb. The difference in height (and status/power) is still maintained… until she runs away. Camera’s formula won’t change though, no one really is going to leave here. 2:17 – till the end… did you see the fireworks?
Neat.
|
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,148
Likes: 1,558
|
Post by Nikan on Apr 10, 2021 13:19:25 GMT
You know what H.W. stands for?
|
|
SZilla
Badass
Posts: 1,464
Likes: 995
|
Post by SZilla on Apr 30, 2021 18:00:16 GMT
I think this video from Nerdwriter gives a really interesting take on Logan and the superhero genre in general and relates them to the Western genre and Shane. Spoilers for both Logan and Shane though.
Rossatron has a really great case on how masterful the original Terminator's action choreography is.
And then another one from Rossatron on Predator
Finally, Eyebrow Cinema has a really interesting study on Content vs. Cinema here: Just noticed Nikon already posted that video, my bad. Instead, here's a video from Royal Ocean Film Society about the love of Criterion that I think a lot of us can relate to:
|
|
|
Post by Mattsby on Apr 30, 2021 18:10:13 GMT
www.youtube.com/sandberganimation/videosYT page for David Sandberg (Annabelle Creation, Shazam) - He's very open about his process and his flaws, with straightforward but good, clear advice on filmmaking. Looking thru his vids, you get a pretty illuminating view of what blocking actors looks like, how to facilitate setups/scheduling, etc. Recently he's done some short films in his own home starring his wife and gives some great tips on small scale DIY filming.
|
|
|
Post by Pavan on May 7, 2021 20:30:15 GMT
Efficient and smart storytelling. Make sure you go through the full thread.
|
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,148
Likes: 1,558
|
Post by Nikan on May 8, 2021 14:51:16 GMT
Efficient and smart storytelling. Make sure you go through the full thread. and next we have Willis with that big teddy bear in medium shot, lighting his cigar... This is kino.
|
|
|
Post by theycallmemrfish on May 8, 2021 17:41:03 GMT
Efficient and smart storytelling. Make sure you go through the full thread. and next we have Willis with that big teddy bear in medium shot, lighting his cigar... This is kino. And then that same teddy bear comes home with Alec Baldwin at the end of The Hunt for Red October (another McTiernan masterpiece).
|
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,148
Likes: 1,558
|
Post by Nikan on May 24, 2021 8:21:14 GMT
|
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,148
Likes: 1,558
|
Post by Nikan on Jun 12, 2021 17:36:30 GMT
|
|