Civil War (Alex Garland)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDyQxtg0V2w
I didn't hate Men(like a lot of people did) and this is getting an IMAX release so it might look good. But this concept has been done to death This movie is coming out late April in 2024 |
Re: Civil War (Alex Garland)
I don't know if I'm going to watch this. It will probably depend on word of mouth.
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Re: Civil War (Alex Garland)
And with this, we're beyond the polite euphemism of "zombies." Zombies were always code for "the hordes of people of whom we live in terror." Our anxiety has finally pressed itself firmly into conscious articulation. Hell is other people and today Americans hate other Americans more than any other foe.
It is interesting to see the band-aid ripped off the premise. Cool. Show us hell with the lid off. I like that the premise acknowledges that a true Civil War would not be five guys in a Dodge Durango, but rather states and elements of the military splitting off and away from the federal structure. It would be, in a word, messy. This film might be an interesting thought experiment to consider the horrors of collapse. And if this doesn't serve, I suspect that we might see a real-deal civil war in Russia, depending on how the Ukranian war plays out. |
Not a fan of Garland to be honest.
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Re: Civil War (Alex Garland)
Garland has talent, I've really liked some of his stuff, but he's pretty inconsistent. And man, this just seems ridiculously on-the-nose. Clumsy, really.
If it's going to be any good, it's going to have to have some really interesting, thoughtful stuff about the ripple effects and implications of its core conceit. If it's just the conceit itself, depicting some kind of worst-case scenario without anything clever or surprising, then I'm not sure I see the point. And in all likelihood it'll end up looking like every other overtly topical film that took some current problem (or sometimes, mere fear at a problem that hadn't even materialized and never would) and extrapolated it wildly in a way that aged horribly. Like Soylent Green. |
Re: Civil War (Alex Garland)
This looks great. I'm noticing a trend of movies focusing much more on americas internal issues than external
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Re: Civil War (Alex Garland)
I like Garland, but this looks uncomfortable to watch haha. Not sure what the full intent will be yet, but I'm sure the Spring 2024 release date is no accident
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Originally Posted by Yoda (Post 2427520)
And man, this just seems ridiculously on-the-nose.
Originally Posted by Yoda (Post 2427520)
If it's going to be any good, it's going to have to have some really interesting, thoughtful stuff about the ripple effects and implications of its core conceit.
Originally Posted by Yoda (Post 2427520)
If it's just the conceit itself, depicting some kind of worst-case scenario without anything clever or surprising, then I'm not sure I see the point.
Originally Posted by Yoda (Post 2427520)
And in all likelihood it'll end up looking like every other overtly topical film
As general proposition, nations rise and fall, usually violently. The bare idea ("All empires fall" or something like that is the tag-line) doesn't seem to be just a concern of "present year."
Originally Posted by Yoda (Post 2427520)
that took some current problem (or sometimes, mere fear at a problem that hadn't even materialized and never would)
Originally Posted by Yoda (Post 2427520)
and extrapolated it wildly in a way that aged horribly. Like Soylent Green.
I think the great doom prediction that is falling through is the Mathusian prediction (Soylent Green, Avengers, how many others?) of endless suffering and mass-starvation from over-population. Present stats are pointing at population collapse. |
Re: Civil War (Alex Garland)
What if they made this movie, but it had superheroes in it? ;)
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Originally Posted by Captain Steel (Post 2428068)
What if they made this movie, but it had superheroes in it? ;)
X-Men offers a more dire scenario in which the mutants war with the normies. In this scenario, the muggles would lose, handily. Game, blouses. The new leaders of the new establishment would laugh at the idea of 2A under the new regime: "You think you're going to take on the Mutant Government with guns? You're going to need level 4 mutant powers to even have a chance, and we're the mutants." |
Finally saw this trailer and the only thought it spurred was, “who financed this?”
Looks like it will be a good watch, appreciate Kirsten Dunst in these middle-age roles and Plemmons is always dead-eye gold. Just don’t really see much insight coming out of this. We are already a country of common people, dividing ourselves to fit into a narrative we get fed. Didn’t need the guy who made Dredd to fill me in on his thoughts. |
Re: Civil War (Alex Garland)
Yea, I think around 2018 or so, I would have maybe been a bit more open to stuff like this, but at this point, I am just straight up sick of this nonsense. At a Christmas party recently (as opposed to the silly and banal holiday party), a bunch of us were lamenting the division and animosity in the country, and how we all just needed to get past it already. The group consisted of a wide variety of political viewpoints, and we were all in agreement. A good start, if I say so myself.
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Originally Posted by Corax (Post 2428064)
How is directness an indictment? Or is the "nose" itself objectionable? If so, what is the nose?
Originally Posted by Corax (Post 2428064)
What if it is just fun?
I hope I'm wrong, though. I'd love to watch a fun movie.
Originally Posted by Corax (Post 2428064)
Safety valve for anxiety?
Originally Posted by Corax (Post 2428064)
I am not sure how topical ("on the nose"?) it is. The rebs are a California-Texas alliance(?), which is a most improbable brew in our current world.
Originally Posted by Corax (Post 2428064)
As general proposition, nations rise and fall, usually violently. The bare idea ("All empires fall" or something like that is the tag-line) doesn't seem to be just a concern of "present year."
It's kind of like exploring the idea of corruption in the halls of power and then including a scene where people storm the capital dressed like shamans and steal lecterns. The former is a timeless theme. The latter is clumsy (and not just because lecterns are heavy).
Originally Posted by Corax (Post 2428064)
Fiction explores possibilities, what ifs. How likely must a premise be? I like Phase I Marvel, but "Purple man seeks magic rocks to remake the universe" is something that has not yet happened, and I wager never will.
Originally Posted by Corax (Post 2428064)
Did it really age that horribly?
Originally Posted by Corax (Post 2428064)
I think the great doom prediction that is falling through is the Mathusian prediction (Soylent Green, Avengers, how many others?) of endless suffering and mass-starvation from over-population. Present stats are pointing at population collapse.
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Originally Posted by Sedai (Post 2428143)
Yea, I think around 2018 or so, I would have maybe been a bit more open to stuff like this, but at this point, I am just straight up sick of this nonsense. At a Christmas party recently (as opposed to the silly and banal holiday party), a bunch of us were lamenting the division and animosity in the country, and how we all just needed to get past it already. The group consisted of a wide variety of political viewpoints, and we were all in agreement. A good start, if I say so myself.
I'm a fan of Garland and the film might be great and he's allowed to make it, I just have no interest in wallowing in this *bleep*. |
Originally Posted by Yoda (Post 2428152)
Being "on the nose" is examining the issue in a clumsy, artless, or superficial way.
Originally Posted by Yoda (Post 2428152)
It sure doesn't look fun. Or like it's trying to be fun.
Originally Posted by Yoda (Post 2428152)
Also, I've seen most of Garland's other films. I've liked some of them a lot, too, but I wouldn't classify any of them as fun.
Originally Posted by Yoda (Post 2428152)
There are certainly ways to explore this idea that are not overtly situated in present concerns, yes. I think that mostly involves finding ways to entertain the idea indirectly.
Why not have a direct examination of our subject matter? Kramer vs. Kramer offers a direct look at divorce. This is a film that offers a more direct look at national divorce (how direct "present year" it will be remains to be seen).
Originally Posted by Yoda (Post 2428152)
It's kind of like exploring the idea of corruption in the halls of power and then including a scene where people storm the capital dressed like shamans and steal lecterns. The former is a timeless theme. The latter is clumsy (and not just because lecterns are heavy).
The premise of the present film is a third-term president. That's not really "current events" or "present year," at least not for the United States. That is, however, a move that dictators inevitably take (e.g., Jingping, Putin). That's timeless enough and realistic enough, and that's not really MAGA Shaman.
Originally Posted by Yoda (Post 2428152)
Exploring something superficially implausible to indirectly comment on real things is fine. What's clumsy and bad is the Uncanny Valley of depicting something superficially plausible, something that almost looks like reality, but basing it on a rote extrapolation of current trends.
We've had people prepping for the end of the world since the 1950s. In the last decade, we've witnessed increased violence, legitimization of violence as a political tool, inconsistent condemnation of violence (e.g., it's OK when my side does it, because of...), families walking on eggshells while drinking eggnog at family gatherings. Your forum has a "no politics" rule, because you find these discussion to be unmanageable (i.e., uncivil). The BLM protests did happen. January 6th did happen. A car just crashed into the president's motorcade. According to a Harris Poll a slim majority of those 18-24 think Israel should be ended and given to Hamas and Palestine, whereas older people feel quite the opposite. We are a house divided.
Originally Posted by Yoda (Post 2428152)
This is what I was referring to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3h-GUVHsFA |
Re: Civil War (Alex Garland)
Pundits offering commentary. They appreciate that the Texas-California alliance is so implausible as to make it "not" be on the nose (i.e., red vs. blue).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptA7wWlCRtk A more "right wing" take seems to be cautiously intrigued at the idea that it won't simply be a left vs. right affair. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtvR4k3Sq24&t=171s |
Re: Civil War (Alex Garland)
I watched this today. I don't think this is as good as Alex Garland's other films. I still liked it, but it felt like it was missing something. Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny are good here and there are some effective moments. I just was expecting more substance though. The film isn't as political as one might assume. It is a fairly traditional journalists during wartime action movie. I didn't feel like it took any particular side or was attacking any group. The main message seems to be simply war is bad. It's a 7/10 from me though, but would not make my top 10 of this year.
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Originally Posted by Allaby (Post 2454130)
I watched this today. I don't think this is as good as Alex Garland's other films. I still liked it, but it felt like it was missing something. Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny are good here and there are some effective moments. I just was expecting more substance though. The film isn't as political as one might assume. It is a fairly traditional journalists during wartime action movie. I didn't feel like it took any particular side or was attacking any group. The main message seems to be simply war is bad. It's a 7/10 from me though, but would not make my top 10 of this year.
Also, although the movie is very cleverly planned to avoid easily offending anyone at all, if you read between the lines you'll find perhaps it suggests quite a bit more than is at first apparent. I'll just leave it at that ;) |
Not a big fan of Garland, so I might wait on this.
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